Kerry Washington is explaining why she brings her own snacks to major celebrity events like the Met Gala.
The Scandal actress said she has several food allergies during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Thursday, November 20, after host Jimmy Kimmel asked her to name some of her intolerances.
“Oh, God, how much time do you have? It’s really sad,” Washington, 48, responded. “All seafood. Not just shellfish. All seafood. That’s terrible.”
But the list goes on.
“Sesame. Sesame seeds, sesame oils. So hummus out,” she continued. “All nuts except peanuts and almonds. Mango. MSG. … It’s ridiculous.”
Kimmel, 58, sympathized with Washington that it must be “impossible to eat” because of her various allergies, prompting the actress to reveal how she gets by at Hollywood soirées.
“At all these fancy galas, when they give you plates of food, like at the Met Ball, I’m eating jerky in a bathroom somewhere,” she shared.
As for traveling aboard, Washington has worked out a clever way to ensure her dietary restrictions are met.
“I get cards made in the language,” she said. “I went to Hong Kong this summer and I had cards made that had pictures of all the things I’m allergic to and [words] in the language. When I travel places, I have cards made. I can tell you how to say, like, ‘mai nam pla’ — [which] means ‘no fish sauce’ in Thai.”
Despite her allergies, Washington said she has no problem cooking with fish, sesame and other ingredients for her family. The actress shares daughter Isabelle Amarachi, 11, and son Caleb Kelechi, 9, with her husband, former NFL star Nnamdi Asomugha. She is also the stepmom of Asomugha’s daughter from a previous relationship.
“But here’s the thing: I’m able to cook everything,” Washington said. “I might have to open a window or turn on a fan, but I cook seafood, I cook all the things I’m allergic to. I cook with tons of sesame oil for the family.”
Washington’s remarks about her children mark a rarity for the actress, who is private about her personal life.
“I think just from the very beginning, Nnamdi and I have been really protective of our partnership and our relationship, because we wanted it to belong to us, and we found that we were able to define and create a relationship for ourselves and with each other outside of the public eye,” Washington told People in June 2024.
“And I think in many ways, we just want to give our kids that same opportunity to define a life for themselves and to enter the public space in their own way,” she continued.
“We’ve chosen to be athletes and artists, and that’s our choice. But we want to let them be kids,” Washington added.
The Emmy nominee is currently on the promotional trail for her new movie, Wake Up Dead Man, the third installment in director Rian Johnson’s Knives Out franchise starring Daniel Craig. The ensemble cast includes A-list actors such as Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Andrew Scott and Cailee Spaeny.
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery is set to release in select theaters on November 26 and premiere on Netflix globally December 12.
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