Kerry Washington Snacked on Her Own ‘Bathroom Jerky’ at the Met Gala
Kerry Washington shares her reasons for bringing her own snacks to high-profile events like the Met Gala.
During her appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Thursday, November 20, the Scandal star discussed her food allergies when host Jimmy Kimmel inquired about them.
“Oh, God, how much time do you have? It’s really sad,” Washington, 48, responded. “I’m allergic to all seafood. Not just shellfish. All kinds of seafood. It’s awful.”
But that’s just the beginning.
“I can’t have sesame. Sesame seeds, sesame oils. So, no hummus for me,” she added. “All nuts except peanuts and almonds. Mango. MSG. … It’s quite a list.”
Kimmel, 58, empathized with Washington, acknowledging how challenging it must be to navigate food options due to her allergies, which led her to reveal her strategy for Hollywood events.
“At all these fancy galas, when they serve food, like at the Met Ball, I’m usually in a bathroom somewhere eating jerky,” she confessed.
When traveling abroad, Washington has devised a smart method to ensure her dietary needs are met.
“I make cards in the local language,” she explained. “When I visited Hong Kong this summer, I had cards made that depicted all my allergies, complete with translations. I can even say, ‘mai nam pla’ — which means ‘no fish sauce’ in Thai.”
Despite her strict diet, Washington enjoys cooking with fish, sesame, and other allergens for her family. She has a daughter, Isabelle Amarachi, 11, and a son, Caleb Kelechi, 9, with her husband, former NFL player Nnamdi Asomugha. She’s also the stepmother to Asomugha’s daughter from a previous relationship.
“But here’s the thing: I can cook everything,” Washington said. “I may need to open a window or switch on a fan, but I cook seafood and everything I’m allergic to. I use lots of sesame oil for my family.”
Washington’s comments about her children are a rare glimpse, as she typically keeps her private life under wraps.
“Nnamdi and I have always been protective of our partnership and relationship because we wanted it to be our own. We discovered we could build a relationship outside the public eye,” Washington explained to People in June 2024.
“In many ways, we want to give our kids the chance to define their lives and engage with the public world on their own terms,” she continued.
“We’ve chosen to be athletes and artists, and that’s our decision. But we want to allow them to just be kids,” Washington added.
The Emmy nominee is currently promoting her new film, Wake Up Dead Man, the third entry in director Rian Johnson’s Knives Out series featuring Daniel Craig. The star-studded cast also includes Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Andrew Scott, and Cailee Spaeny.
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery will debut in select theaters on November 26 and globally on Netflix on December 12.
