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Isaiah Washington is opening up about a devastating chapter in his life.
More than a year after the Grey’s Anatomy alum’s wife Jenisa Garland died, he shared insight into her weeklong health battle after collapsing suddenly in May 2025.
“It came as a huge shock to me and our entire family,” Washington captioned his Oct. 3 Instagram post, which included a photo of Garland. “She succumbed to a massive hemorrhagic stroke and never recovered.”
The actor—who shares kids Isaiah, Tyme and Iman with his wife of 29 years—said he waited 16 months to confirm her death because Garland preferred to keep their personal life private.
“I don’t know if this is an appropriate post,” he admitted, “because Jenisa Washington was extremely private, but I guess I just have to be reprimanded from her on the other side.”
Washington also shared a public service announcement for fans.
“Listen, y’all…some headaches are not just headaches or migraines, they can be much worse and a warning sign,” he emphasized. “Get a brain scan if you can and take those headaches seriously.”
As the 63-year-old continues to navigate his new normal, he is grateful to have their kids by his side.
As he put it, “She has been gone 16 months now, but she left 3 incredibly amazing children behind to continue her legacy.”
The Ghost Ship star previously shared insight into navigating his acting career while balancing life as a husband and dad.
“I always told my wife, since I have the kids and a wife, that I would rather kiss a horse than a woman on screen,” he told Fox News Digital in September 2022. “Because then I have to explain myself to my daughter, like, ‘Why are you kissing a strange woman?'”
Marcus Ingram/Getty Images for NAACP
Although he was joking, he clarified, “I’ve said ‘no’ more than I have said ‘yes.'”
Washington also admitted he was initially apprehensive about marrying Garland—whom he wed in 1996—so early in his career. (He earned his first major role in Spike Lee‘s Crooklyn in 1994.)
“For me, being married and having children did change a lot of my trajectory,” he recalled. “That’s why I didn’t want to get married 25 years ago, but I’m glad I did because the wife and children really make you the best human being that you can be.”
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