If you’re watching Kerry Washington star in the new Hulu miniseries Little Fires Everywhere, you might find yourself wondering about the actress’s real life. Safe to say, Kerry is pretty different from her character Mia Warren, especially in the love department. The actress has been happily married to her husband of six years, former NFL cornerback and actor Nnamdi Asomugha.
Over the years, Kerry and Nnamdi have preferred to stay quiet about their relationship. When speaking to Glamour in 2013, Kerry explained that sharing her love story with the world is just not something she’s interested in doing.
“I have girlfriends in this business who talk about their personal lives, and it works for them, and I love it. But not for me. I learned through experience that it doesn’t work for me to talk about my personal life.”
She continued: “I’ve had earlier times in my career when I did talk about it. I was on the cover of a bridal magazine (when she was engaged to actor David Moscow, she appeared on a 2005 issue of Instyle Weddings) … But I couldn’t just turn around and say, ‘I only want to talk about the good stuff, but not the bad stuff.’ So I just thought, ‘OK, no more.'”
That said, what little Kerry has shared about their relationship is beyond precious — like, for instance, how they first met. According to the New York Daily News, Nnamdi first laid eyes on Kerry when he went with a mutual friend to go see the actress perform in Race on Broadway roughly 10 years ago. Kerry revealed to Marie Claire in 2018, “The last time I did theater, it completely transformed my life. That’s where I met my husband.”
Apparently after that, sparks began to fly between the two. Three years later, they tied the knot on June 24, 2013 in Hailey, Idaho. Together, they raise three kids — Caleb, Isabelle, and a 12-year-old daughter (name unknown) from Nnamdi’s previous relationship.
Though Kerry and Nnamdi don’t really talk about their marriage to the press, the Scandal star is more than happy to gush about the importance of spending time with her husband and children.
“I love being with my family. My days off look like homework, reading and watching stuff,” she told Marie Claire. “Just hanging out, doing things we love to do.”
And when it comes to motherhood, Kerry told the magazine that it’s taught her so much already.
“The children I got sent came in perfect, and I have to figure out how to grow and evolve so that I can support the truth of them. I’m in a constant state of learning and challenging myself to make room for their perfection and beauty.”
Apart from their kids, Nnamdi and Kerry have a shared love of philanthropy as well. In 2010, Nnamdi launched the Asomugha Foundation, which aims to help disadvantaged youth in the U.S. and underprivileged orphans and widows in Africa through education and empowerment. His benevolence over the years has resulted in several accolades, including the NFL Players Association’s Man of the Year Award, the Jefferson Award for Public Service, and the President’s Volunteer Service Award.
Meanwhile, Kerry’s work includes being an Allstate Purple Purse Ambassador to help raise money for victims of domestic violence and financial abuse, a supporter of Until The Violence Stops: NYC and Women’s Cancer Programs of the Entertainment Industry Foundation, and serving as a committee member for the Turnaround Arts program, which focuses on integrating arts into underachieving school curriculums. She is also set to appear at the Global Citizen and World Health Organization One World: Together at Home event on April 18. Like her husband, Kerry has been recognized for her selflessness, including earning the Women Making History Award, and becoming a Baby2Baby Angel and Giving Tree honoree.
It doesn’t take a ton of marriage talk to recognize that this is a true power couple.
