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John David Washington Stops Question About Dad Denzel to Praise Mom and Twitter Explodes

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Now that Spike Lee’s “BlacKkKlansman“ is a critical and commercial hit, the lead actor John David Washington could be on his way to being Hollywood’s next ‘It’ guy.

Recently, the 34-year-old sat down with the “Today” show’s Craig Melvin and discussed the challenges of making the film, how he first became interested in acting and how he dealt with the success of his famous father Denzel Washington.

John David Washington Praises Mother

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But there’s one part of the interview that’s gotten a lot of attention, it’s when Melvin asked John David about his dad and was immediately cut off.

“Being the son of Denzel Washington,” Melvin began.

“And Pauletta Washington,” John David interrupted. “Who was earning more money than he was when they married. Before they got married she was on Broadway working. She paid for the first date. She paid the bill, she paid the cab ride, classically trained pianist, went to Juliard. She’s a great artist in her own right, and I learned a lot from her. My father taught me how to hunt. My mother taught me how to love.”

Later in the interview, John David — who also plays in the HBO series “Ballers” — said at first he didn’t embrace his father’s success and turned his back on it. That’s why he pursued a career in football and made it as far as the pros, playing six years in the United Football League.  

He said after the movies and money started rolling in for his father, some people around him started to change, which he resented. It’s something that he’s talked about before but in a little more detail.  

After folks caught wind of John David’s interview and how he spoke of his mother, they took to social media and left various compliments. 

“Legit made me emotional to see him honor his mother like that,” one person wrote.

“I want to be the kind of woman who inspires my children and husband to sing my praises like this,” wrote another.

There was also someone who said he knew Pauletta Washington personally and agreed with everything the young actor said about her.

“John David, you are so right about your mother,” one guy tweeted. “I went to school with her at North Texas. She’s a great pianist, as I had the honor of her accompanying me for a number of my jury performances. She can sight-read anything and is a wonderful singer and actor.”

You can see the interview below at the 2:18 mark, as well as other Twitter comments. 

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