February 2, 2023
Viola Davis Traces Her Roots, DNA Test Reveals A Messy Secret About Her Ancestors
The family secrets of this actress have risen from the ashes.
In a recent episode of the documentary series, Finding Your Roots, a DNA test reveals a “messy truth” about Rhode Island-born actress Viola Davis’ family.
According to Today, the show’s host, Henry Louis Gates Jr., helped Davis uncover information about her maternal grandfather, Henry Logan, who withheld a secret from the family regarding his paternity.
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Reportedly, there were two potential fathers for the Davis family. Her grandfather’s Social Security card application named Gable Logan as his dad, while his obituary listed a man named John Young.
Historical records showed Henry Logan’s mother, Corine Ravenell Logan, married Gable Logan in 1912. Although the two were together in May 1920 when Henry Logan, Davis’ grandfather, was born, there’s a chance Gable Logan was not Henry’s biological father.
Davis and Gates looked into a record from 1919, finding no evidence of Gable Logan ever returning home to South Carolina with his wife following his military service in World War I, sparking a suspicion that Young may have been the father.
Data showed that Davis’ grandfather was born while Corine Logan and her parents were living near Young, who was married then. Reportedly, when Henry Logan was six years old, Corine died, and Young moved his family to North Carolina, leaving Davis’ grandfather behind.
“It makes me know that I entered this world with a big old load from the moment I came out of my mother’s womb. I’m the amalgamation of a lot of stories and a lot of secrets,” she said.
“I think that all of us want to create a past that benefits us and our fantasies,” she added. “We’re not so good with messy truth, and this is a messy truth.”
Davis said she is proud of her family history and has a new appreciation for her grandfather’s struggle.