Updated October 4, 2026, 10:28 p.m. ET
“Grey’s Anatomy” star Isaiah Washington shared the “huge shock” his family experienced with the sudden death of his wife.
Responding to speculation regarding his family life, Washington, 63, broke his silence in an Instagram post on Saturday, October 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. This was a huge shock to me and our entire family,” he wrote. “She succumbed to a severe hemorrhagic stroke and never recovered.”
Isaiah Washington’s wife Jenisa died after suffering a severe hemorrhagic stroke.
A hemorrhagic stroke occurs “when a blood vessel in the brain bursts, causing bleeding (hemorrhage) in or around the brain,” according to MedlinePlus from the National Library of Medicine. The pressure from bleeding damages brain tissue, causing brain cells to die within minutes.
“Listen, y’all… some headaches aren’t just headaches or migraines, they can be much worse and a warning sign,” Washington continued. “Get a brain scan if you can and take these headaches seriously.”
Her three “incredibly extraordinary children” will “continue her legacy,” he wrote, then light-heartedly shared that she had to “be chastised by her on the other side” for the post because his late wife was “extremely private.”
‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Actor Isaiah Washington Remembers His Wife Jenisa
Washington, who played Seattle Grace Hospital’s Dr. Preston Burke for the first three seasons of “Grey’s,” previously said he “lost everything” after allegedly using a homophobic slur during an early argument — a word he repeated in the 2007 Golden Globes press room while denying using it against one of his costars.
He was later fired from the ABC show.
Years later, he told HuffPost Live that amid the forced hiatus from his career due to controversy, “I became a better husband, a better father and a better artist.”
What are the signs of a stroke?
The American Heart Association released an article in January that found strokes are the fourth leading cause of death in the United States.
The acronym BEFAST is shorthand for remembering the common warning signs of a stroke: loss of balance, eye (vision) changes, facial drooping, arm weakness, difficulty speaking, and time to call 911, even if the symptoms disappear.
People of all ages can suffer a stroke, and approximately 800,000 people in the United States experience them each year, according to the American Stroke Association. Maintaining healthy blood pressure, staying physically active (150 minutes per week recommended), maintaining a balanced diet, and avoiding smoking are among the preventative measures recommended by the ASA.
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