Details About Kamala Harris' Friendship With Kerry Washington

From 2012 to 2018, actor Kerry Washington played White House fixer Olivia Pope on the hit primetime series "Scandal." In real life, Washington also happens to be closely linked to the actual White House, albeit in a very different way. Throughout the 2024 presidential election, Washington has not only endorsed Kamala Harris, but has actively campaigned for the vice president. 

Their connection began before Harris threw her hat in the presidential election ring. In 2023, Harris invited Washington and her family to visit the White House, and the two took a few photos together and shared them on social media. "Feels good to be back," Harris wrote on Instagram, alluding to the time she spent in the TV version of the White House on "Scandal." Fans took to the comment section to express how thrilled they were to see the two strong role models linking up. 

It's no stretch to say both Washington and Harris have made history. Harris is the first female vice president, first Asian American vice president, and first Black vice president; Washington was the first Black woman to lead a network drama since the 1970s.

What's more, "Scandal" fans have drawn connections between Kamala Harris and Kerry Washington's fictional counterpart. In 2024, TikToker Kimberlee-Mikel Thompson posted a video in which she posited that "Scandal" creator Shonda Rhimes prepped America for the possibility of Harris becoming president one day. Noting the similarities between the VP and Olivia Pope, Thompson said, "Like, she's always got a blowout. She's married to a white man. She's a lawyer. She doesn't have children of her own, although she is a stepmother. And she's always in a pantsuit." Evidently, the real-life Olivia Pope is on board with the comparison: Washington dueted this video and nodded along with Thompson's points. 

Washington also seems to have a strong rapport with Harris' family. Before Harris formally accepted the Democratic Party's nomination at the 2024 Democratic National Convention, Washington appeared onstage with Harris' great-nieces, Amara and Leela Ajagu. The trio then offered the crowd a charming and quick lesson on how to pronounce Harris' first name. 

After the event, Washington told People she couldn't have been more impressed when it came time for Amara and Leela to support great-aunt Kamala Harris. "I thought they were wonderful and I think in many ways helped me to not be nervous," she said. "I was so focused on being present for them that I didn't have time to think about the insanely big crowd." Washington also shared that the girls were set on rehearsing the segment over and over. It seems safe to say that they inherited their great-aunt's leadership gene.