'Grey's Anatomy' star Isaiah Washington reveals wife's sudden death 1 year later - USA Today
"Grey's Anatomy" star Isaiah Washington has shared the "huge shock" his family experienced with his wife's sudden death.
In addressing the speculations concerning his family life, Washington, 63, broke his silence in an Instagram post on Saturday, Oct. 3, announcing that his wife of 29 years, Jenisa Washington, had died 16 months prior.
"Yes…the rumors are true. My dear wife of 29 years collapsed suddenly on May 31, 2025 and passed away on June 9, 2025. It came as a huge shock to me and our entire family," he wrote. "She succumbed to a massive hemorrhagic stroke and never recovered."
A hemorrhagic stroke happens "when a blood vessel in the brain bursts, causing bleeding (hemorrhage) in or around the brain," according to the National Library of Medicine's MedlinePlus. The pressure from the bleeding damages brain tissue, causing brain cells to start dying within minutes.
"Listen, y’all…some headaches are not just headaches or migraines, they can be much worse and a warning sign," Washington continued. "Get a brain scan if you can and take those headaches seriously."
Her three "incredibly amazing children" will "continue her legacy," he wrote, then lightheartedly shared that she had "to be reprimanded from her on the other side" for the post because his late wife was "extremely private."
Washington, who played Seattle Grace Hospital's Dr. Preston Burke for the first three seasons of "Grey's," has previously said he "lost everything" after allegedly using a homophobic slur in an onset argument – a word he repeated in the press room at the 2007 Golden Globes as he denied using it against a costar.
He was subsequently fired from the ABC show.
Years later, he told HuffPost Live that amid the forced break in his career due to the controversy, "I became a better husband, a better father and a better artist."
The American Heart Association published an article in January that reported strokes are the fourth-leading cause of death in the U.S.
The acronym B.E. F.A.S.T. is a shortcut for remembering common stroke warning signs: balance loss, eye (vision) changes, facial drooping, arm weakness, speech difficulty and time to call 911, even if symptoms subside.
People of all ages can experience a stroke, and around 800,000 people in the U.S. have a stroke each year, according to the American Stroke Association. Maintaining healthy blood pressure, staying physically active (a recommended 150 minutes each week), maintaining a balanced diet and avoiding smoking are among the ASA's recommended preventive measures.
