VIOLA DAVIS HONORED AT NAACP IMAGE AWARDS, ADMITS SHE’S NOT READY TO BECOME AN EMPTY NESTER

Viola Davis had her biggest supporters right by her side at 57th NAACP Image Awards on Feb. 28.

The actress hit the red carpet with husband Julius Tennon and their daughter Genesis Tennon before taking the stage to accept the NAACP’s Chairman’s Award.

In her acceptance speech for the honor, which recognizes individuals whose influence extends beyond film and television, she told the audience, “There is no becoming without healing, and without a radical acceptance of one’s truth.”

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The following evening, Davis was back in the spotlight with Tennon, this time at the 2026 Actor Awards, formerly known as the SAG Awards.

Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, she admitted she is not ready to become an empty nester.

“No, I’m serious. I can’t handle it,” she said, as Tennon, 72, jokingly added, “I can. I’m good.”

Laughing, Davis said she might “microchip” her daughter “just so I could track her.”

The Woman King actress shared that her 15-year-old is like most teenagers.

“”I’m surprised when she does want to hang out with us. But, you know, she thinks we’re funny. We can’t do anything. We can’t do anything with technology. She rolls her eyes.”

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Davis and Tennon adopted Genesis in 2011. In a previous interview with People, she reflected on how motherhood shifted her sense of purpose.

“I wanted my life to mean and be something deeper. That’s when the urge came, and the urge was just very, very, very, strong. So I have a kid now, and she is just the light of our lives.”

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Tennon, who was already a father when he met Davis, has helped shape their parenting approach.

“I came into a relationship where he already had children and grandchildren and raised his kids on his own, so he’s tough—he toes the line, but in a very loving way,” she continued. “He holds her accountable. Me, not so much—I’m the softie. Really, entitlement. Listen, there are poor kids who are entitled. So I pray.”

 

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