Isaiah Washington breaks silence on wife’s death after sudden stroke
TheGrio...
The former “Grey’s Anatomy” star shared that Jenisa Marie Garland died in June 2025, more than a year after a sudden medical emergency.
Isaiah Washington is opening up about a deeply personal loss.
The former “Grey’s Anatomy” star revealed Friday that his wife of nearly three decades, Jenisa Marie Garland, died in June 2025 after suffering a massive hemorrhagic stroke.
Washington, 63, shared the news in an Instagram post featuring a photo of Garland, explaining that he had kept her death private because she was a deeply private person.
“I don’t know if this is an appropriate post, because Jenisa Washington was extremely private,” he wrote.
Garland’s death came after she suddenly collapsed on May 31, 2025. Washington said she never recovered from the stroke and died nine days later, on June 9.
The loss was unexpected for Washington and their family.
“It came as a huge shock to me and our entire family,” he wrote.
Washington and Garland had been married since 1996. They shared three children, Tyme, Iman and Isaiah V.
In addition to announcing Garland’s death, Washington used his post to encourage people not to dismiss unusual or persistent headaches.
“Some headaches are not just headaches or migraines,” he wrote.
His comments came from the experience of watching his wife suffer a sudden, life-threatening medical emergency. He encouraged people to take concerning symptoms seriously and seek medical attention when necessary.
A hemorrhagic stroke happens when a blood vessel in the brain ruptures, causing bleeding in or around the brain. It is a medical emergency that requires immediate treatment.
Washington’s warning also reflects one of the more difficult realities of stroke: symptoms can appear suddenly, and some people may not recognize the seriousness of what is happening.
Washington and Garland spent nearly 30 years together, but she generally maintained a life away from Hollywood.
The couple married on Valentine’s Day in 1996 after meeting at a dinner party in Los Angeles. They went on to build a family while Washington’s acting career took him into the national spotlight.
Washington became best known for playing Dr. Preston Burke on “Grey’s Anatomy,” the Shonda Rhimes-created medical drama that became one of television’s biggest hits.
Garland was not simply Washington’s wife behind the scenes. The couple also worked together professionally and launched a clothing company, SOLD Apparel, during their marriage.
Still, much of their family life remained private.
That privacy appears to be one reason Washington waited until now to publicly discuss Garland’s death.
In his message, he also spoke about their children, describing them as “incredibly amazing” and saying they would carry on their mother’s legacy.
More than a year after Garland’s death, Washington is now sharing a loss that his family had been grieving largely away from the public eye.
For Washington, the announcement is not simply news of a celebrity death. It is a public acknowledgment of the woman he spent nearly three decades of his life with and the mother of his children.