The former Grey’s Anatomy actor announced that his wife of 29 years died in June 2025 following a hemorrhagic stroke.
Isaiah Washington announced on social media that his wife of 29 years died in June 2025 after suffering a massive hemorrhagic stroke.
The former “Grey’s Anatomy” actor addressed online speculation over the weekend and wrote that “the rumors are true.” According to his post, his wife collapsed on May 31, 2025, and died on June 9, 2025. “It came as a huge shock to me and our entire family,” Washington wrote. “She succumbed to a massive hemorrhagic stroke and never recovered.”
Washington urged his followers to pay attention to physical symptoms. “Listen, y’all…some headaches are not just headaches or migraines, they can be much worse and a warning sign,” he wrote, telling readers to get a brain scan if possible. A hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a blood vessel in the brain bursts and bleeds into or around the tissue, raising skull pressure and damaging brain tissue, according to the National Library of Medicine’s MedlinePlus.
Fox News identified his wife as Jenisa Garland, while NBC News identified her as Jenisa Washington. Washington noted that she had been gone for 16 months and was “extremely private.” The couple had three children: Isaiah Washington V, Tyme, and Iman. Several actors and entertainment figures, including Viola Davis, Michael Beach, Loni Love, Tichina Arnold, and Neil Brown Jr., sent condolences online.
Washington’s television career and departure
Washington played Dr. Preston Burke on the first three seasons of “Grey’s Anatomy” from 2005 to 2007. His run on the show ended after an October 2006 argument with co-star Patrick Dempsey in which Washington was accused of directing a homophobic slur at co-star T.R. Knight. Washington apologized publicly at the time in People Magazine. NBC News reported that he was fired in 2007, while Fox News reported that ABC chose not to renew his contract. He returned for a guest appearance in 2014 for the departure of Sandra Oh, whose character had been Burke’s romantic partner.
During a July 2020 appearance on the Fox Nation series “Isaiah Washington: Kitchen Talk,” Washington said the story of the incident had been misconstrued and said he would never apologize again. In a recent social media post, Washington wrote that he is preparing to return to screen acting after turning down work for three years.
