Jenisa Garland is famously known for being the wife of the 58-year-old Image Award-winning actor and author Isaiah Washington, who wrote the book “A Man from Another Land”, and whose fame skyrocketed when he began appearing in the acclaimed TV series “Grey’s Anatomy” from 2005-2007.
Age, Early Life, and Education Background
Jenisa was born in 1969 in the USA, which makes her 53 years old as of 2022. She was raised by her parents who were of mixed ethnicity, partly in France, and in several US states. Jenisa’s father was a pilot and traveled a lot when she was growing up; her mother worked as a clothier at a local style agency. Isaiah’s wife has a younger sister and a brother.
Jenisa Garland is one lucky lady! The oh so handsome @IWashington and his lovely wife Jenisa Garland attend a private launch for Akon's Cryptocurrency AKoin: https://t.co/Q0VhbMaaXt pic.twitter.com/4VT8wrh23X
— ESSENCE (@Essence) August 12, 2018
She spent most of her childhood with her mother, and would help her with chores and other tasks, and was also very passionate about expanding her language understanding and knowledge – she enrolled for German, Dutch, French and English classes and became fluent in the languages.
Garland attended a local elementary school, and sources reveal that she was a brilliant and talented student. She started showing interest in plays and acting as a teenager, and was taken for theatrical classes, which saw her featuring in many school plays.
Hobbies and Interesting Facts
Garland devotes a huge portion of her free time to study literature and read novels – fictional and romantic genres are her favorite.
She is a fashion and beauty fanatic and likes new and trendy clothes.
When she is not busy working, she watches late night movies, and has watched a bunch of romantic and biographical TV series.
When she was young she loved dancing, and participated in many dancing competitions, from some of which she bagged awards.
Career
Jenisa has kept a low profile when it comes to her career, but is often seen with a big smile side by side with her husband at major events – undoubtedly, she plays a huge role in the career of Isaiah Washington, who made his acting debut in the 1991 short movie “Land Where my Fathers Died.”
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He was next seen in the Spike Lee-directed “Crooklyn” in 1994, before he appeared in 1995’s “Stonewall.” Her husband caught the public’s attention when he appeared in “Girl 6” in 1996, in which he played a shoplifter. Before the end of the decade, Washington was seen in several productions such as “Love Jones,” “Always Outnumbered,” and “True Crime” in 1997, ‘98, and ‘99 respectively.
As Washington’s fame grew, he was cast in several more award-winning films and TV shows, including 2002’s “Welcome to Collinwood,” “Dead Birds” in 2004, and 2005’s “The Moguls.” Subsequently, he assumed the role of Dr. Burke in “Grey’s Anatomy” (2005) for three seasons earning himself several awards and nominations.
He’s also credited for his performance in the sci-fi show “The 100”, and in his recent projects 2017’s “Dead Trigger” and 2018’s “Behind the Movement.”
Personal Life
Jenisa has been married to her (former) long-time boyfriend Tyme Washington for many years now. The duo tied the knot in a private wedding ceremony attended by close friends and family in February1996, after dating for several years as sources reveal. They’ve welcomed three children together – two sons, Isaiah Akin-Olu Washington and Tyme Baraka, and daughter Iman Sele Washington. The couple is seemingly living a happy life, and often appear together at events and in public places. Previously, they lived in Beverly Hills, Glen Dale, Venice, and Los Angeles, all in California.
Rumours and Controversies
In 2012, Jenisa was unable to control her temper when she reportedly slapped make-up artist Merc Arceneaux during an outing at the Hollywood-based Club Deep. According to Merc, who was speaking to the Star Magazine, ‘…she (Garland) had no right to put her hands on me … My feelings are hurt and I never received an apology.’ Attempting to bring to light how the events unfolded, the Star interviewed an onlooker who was present at the scene, who said that, ‘Jenisa marched up to Merc while she was chatting with Isaiah and said, “Really, Merc? Really?”… She threw a drink in Merc’s face. And when Merc said to Isaiah, “Talk to your wife,” Jenisa slapped Merc across the face.’
On the other hand, Garland’s husband was famously fired from the medical drama series “Grey’s Anatomy” in 2007, as the US Magazine gathered, following his altercation with Patrick Dempsey (who played Dr. Derek in the hit show), which turned physical. According to sources, the pair was filming the medical drama when they got into a heated argument – Isaiah pushed him against the wall as he grabbed him by his throat; to make matters worse, Washington used homophobic slurs to refer to another cast member, T.R. Knight, who portrays Dr George O’Malley in the show.
Knight was forced to come out publicly as gay following the incident, to avoid the development of unnecessary rumours, despite his family not knowing about his sexuality before the incident. Isaiah initially denied using homophobic slurs, but later apologized for his altercation shortly after the drama – ‘I apologize to T.R., my colleagues, the fans of the show, and especially the lesbian and gay community for using a word that is unacceptable in any context or circumstance.’
Height, Weight, and Physical Appearance
Jenisa is of the Afro-American ethnicity and has black hair and dark brown eyes. She is 5ft 6ins (1.68m) tall – her weight isn’t available on the internet.
Net Worth
Garland’s net worth is unavailable; nonetheless, her husband is reportedly worth approximately $1 million as of 2022, earned from his successful career as an actor.
Garland’s Husband, Isaiah Washington
Isaiah Washington is an American-Sierra Leonean actor, who has appeared in many Spike Lee productions. He was born in Houston before his parents moved to Missouri City, where he was raised. Rumours have it that he had a rough childhood, mainly because his father was murdered when he was 13. Isaiah attended Willowridge High School, and matriculated to Howard University. Upon completing his studies, he was recruited by the US Air Force.
Washington contacted African Ancestry Inc. to help him trace his ancestry, and discovered that his maternal ancestry was in Sierra Leone. He has since donated to several charities in the country, and loves traveling there from time to time – he was also granted Sierra Leone citizenship following his discovery. On the other hand, his paternal roots link him to Angola’s Mbundu people.
Isaiah has an athletic body, and is 6ft 1in (1.85m) tall weighing approximately 185lbs (85kg). He has black hair and dark brown eyes.
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