The actress comes to Chicago this week to promote the book, and said it's been a relief to "tell all."
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During her first major film role, Washington's salary was so low she kept teaching as a sub to pay her bills.
"I am coming back; I love Chicago. I haven't been in so long, the first time I was there was when we filmed 'Save the Last Dance.' It's a city I love, and I'm really happy to be swinging through on my book tour," Washington said.
SEE MORE: Kerry Washington stars in Hulu's 'UnPrisoned' as therapist re-establishing bond with her dad
She recently shared that she learned her dad is not her biological father, that she was born from a sperm donor, and she was shocked.
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"I have been really private about my family in particular. A few years ago my parents gave me some new information about my family that really turned my world upside-down, and really challenged the way that I think about myself. It kind of set me on a path of discovery and curiosity, and so I wrote my way through it," Washington said.
The actress will appear at the Athenaeum Center in Lakeview at 7 p.m. Thursday night in conversation about her memoir with her "Scandal" co-star.
"I'm really excited to be speaking in Chicago with my sister, Bellamy Young. Those years on the show, those friends that I made, they'll be with me always. I'm so grateful to have been a part of that show, and to have the relationships I have because of it," she said.