Viola Davis, 56, reveals in memoir she dove in dumpsters for food, had rocks thrown at her by bullies and saw her mom get beaten by her dad as she talks ‘survival’
- First Lady actress Viola Davis has released a new memoir titled Finding Me
- In the book the star, 56, shared that she grew up poor in Rhode Island
- The movie icon had to dive into dumpsters to find food with her five siblings
- The star also shared that she had rocks thrown at her by racist bullies
- And worst of all, she saw her father Dan physically and emotionally abused her mother Mae Alice
Viola Davis has released a new memoir titled Finding Me.
In the book she shared that she grew up so poor in Rhode Island that she had to dive into dumpsters to find food with her five siblings. The actress also shared that she had rocks thrown at her by racists. And worst of all, she saw her father Dan physically and emotionally abused her mother Mae Alice.
In an interview with People magazine, the 56-year-old actress explained why she was able to eventually forgive her father, who passed away due to pancreatic cancer in 2006. ‘I wanted to love my dad,’ The First Lady star told the magazine.
Difficult: Viola Davis has released a new memoir titled Finding Me, in which she details how her father Dan physically and emotionally abused her mother Mae Alice for years. Seen in April 2022
Coming soon to a store near you: Finding Me: A Memoir will be released on April 26
She continued, ‘And here’s the thing: My dad loved me. I saw it. I felt it. I received it, and I took it.
‘For me, that’s a much better gift and less of a burden than going through my entire life carrying that big, heavy weight of who he used to be and what he used to do,’ the Hollywood veteran added.
‘That’s my choice. That’s my legacy: forgiving my dad.’
Forgiveness: In an interview with People magazine, the 56-year-old actress explained why she was able to eventually forgive her father, who passed away due to pancreatic cancer in 2006. Pictured with Dan
The Academy, Emmy, and Tony Award winner explained that though Dan regularly beat Mae Alice, he later ‘changed’ and her mother was able to forgive her father for his mistreatment of her.
‘My dad changed,’ the Broadway performer explained. ‘My mom said he apologized to her every single day.
‘Every single day, he rubbed her feet. Forgiveness is not pretty. Sometimes people don’t understand that life is not a Thursday-night lineup on ABC.
‘My dad changed’: The Academy, Emmy, and Tony Award winner explained that though Dan regularly beat Mae Alice, he later ‘changed’ and her mother was able to forgive her father for his mistreatment of her. Seen with Mae Alice
‘It is messy. He did hurt me then, but love and forgiveness can operate on the same plane as anger.’
Dan was a horse groomer who dropped out of school after the second grade. Mae Alice remained married to him for 48 years until his death.
In her memoir, The How To Get Away With Murder star described her difficult childhood. Raised in Central Falls, Rhode Island, Viola grew up in deep poverty.
Back then: Dan was a horse groomer who dropped out of school after the second grade. Seen with her father at her graduation
‘I wanted to love my dad,’ The First Lady star told the magazine. Viola and Dan pictured together
She recalled how she and her five siblings had to dumpster-dive for food and how she endured relentless bullying at school from boys who threw rocks at her for being black.
The Vanity Fair cover star told People her troubled childhood led her to adopt survival skills at an early age.
‘How you react is based on survival,’ Viola said. ‘The key is to survive.
Family: Viola has been married to her husband Julius Tennon, 68, since 2003. The two, who co-founded the production company JuVee Productions, are parents to daughter Genesis, 11. Seen in 2021
‘I did what was at my hand to do at 8 years old. I fought. And that fighting served me because I’m still on my feet.’
Viola has been married to her husband Julius Tennon, 68, since 2003. The two, who co-founded the production company JuVee Productions, are parents to daughter Genesis, 11.
The actress is also stepmother to Julius’ two children from previous relationships.
Reflecting back, Viola said that she is grateful for every part of her life, saying, ‘I count it all as joy. I do. All of those things happened to me, but I own it. And it’s a part of who I am.
‘It’s given me an extraordinary sense of compassion,’ she noted. ‘It’s reconciling that young girl in me and healing from the past—and finding home.’
Finding Me: A Memoir will be released on April 26.
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