Hollywood icon Denzel Washington, 69, wed Pauletta Washington (née Pearson), 73, in June 1983. After over four decades of marriage, the famous acting couple remains in a loving relationship.
The Washingtons attended the premiere of “The Piano Lesson” at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 10, which was directed by their 33-year-old son, Malcolm Washington.
Pauletta spoke to People at the TIFF event, where the Broadway actress offered insight into her 41-year partnership with her Academy Award-winning husband.
“We work at it. It’s work,” she told the outlet. “It’s not that you sit there and you go like, ‘Oh, you know…'”
She continued, “There are a lot of prayers for strength for staying in a forgiveness mode and both parts, mine and his. But it’s the basic love that we have for each other.”
The Jasmine Brand posted Pauletta’s remarks about the success of her marriage on Instagram. Commenters then shared their thoughts on the Washingtons’ enduring matrimony.
“Black love what a beautiful thing!” one fan wrote in the comment section. Another Instagram user stated, “A marriage that put God first. God bless them.”
However, other people had different perspectives on Denzel and Pauletta. For instance, an Instagrammer joked, “They love each other but I bet they have separate bedrooms.”
Thirteen years into their marriage, Denzel and Pauletta went on “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” That 1996 episode of the daytime talk show included Ms. Washington explaining her initial interest in the Mount Vernon, New York, native.
“I thought he was cute, but I fell in love with his spirit. That’s what I saw first, and then I thought, ‘Not a bad package,'” Pauletta expressed.
Denzel met his future spouse while filming 1977’s “Wilma: The Wilma Rudolph Story” television movie. Following their 1983 wedding, he and Pauletta welcomed four children between 1984 and 1991.
All of the Washington kids work in the entertainment industry. Filmmaker Malcolm Washington’s “The Piano Lesson” stars his 40-year-old brother John David Washington who previously acted in motion pictures like “BlacKkKlansman” and “Tenet.”
Malcolm’s twin sister, Olivia Washington, acted in movies such as Lee Daniels’ “The Butler.” 37-year-old Katia Washington has worked as a producer on projects like “Fences” and “Malcolm & Marie.”
“The Piano Lesson” is a full family affair. In addition to John David playing Boy Willie Charles in the motion picture adaptation of August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name, Pauletta and Olivia also appear in the upcoming Netflix release.
Denzel Washington and Katia Washington serve as producers for “The Piano Lesson” as well. Pauletta told People, “This movie is so personal to me, and the people that I got to make it with are the closest people in my life.”
“The Piano Lesson” will hit select theaters on Nov. 8. Netflix will begin streaming the movie on Nov. 22. The cast also features Samuel L. Jackson, Ray Fisher, Michael Potts, Erykah Badu, Danielle Deadwyler, Corey Hawkins, and others.
