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Former Grey’s Anatomy star Isaiah Washington has confirmed that his wife of 29 years, Jenisa Marie Garland, died over a year ago.
“Yes…the rumors are true,” Washington wrote in an Instagram post Saturday. He explained that Garland, a former fashion designer, collapsed “suddenly” on May 31, 2025, and died June 9.
“It came as a huge shock to me and our entire family,” the 63-year-old actor wrote. “She succumbed to a massive hemorrhagic stroke and never recovered.”
He then warned his followers to pay attention to their bodies. “Listen, y’all …some headaches are not just headaches or migraines, they can be much worse and a warning sign. Get a brain scan if you can and take those headaches seriously.”
“She has been gone 16 months now, but she left 3 incredibly amazing children behind to continue her legacy. I don’t know if this is an appropriate post, because Jenisa Washington was extremely private, but I guess I just have to be reprimanded from her on the other side,” he said.
Washington starred as Dr. Preston Burke on the first three seasons of Grey’s Anatomy. He returned for a guest appearance on the show in 2014. The actor — who was famously fired from the medical drama after using a gay slur during an on-set dispute — announced his “early retirement” from acting due to “the haters” in 2023.
Early Monday morning, Washington spoke about his late wife again in a tribute to actor-comedian Reggie McFadden, who died at age 57.
“RIP Reggie McFadden,” his Instagram post said. “Say hello to Jenisa Washington, because it was you who introduced me to her in 1995.”
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Garland and Washington got married on Valentine’s Day in 1996 after meeting at a dinner party in Los Angeles the year prior, according to Us Weekly. In their nearly three decades of marriage, the couple raised three children together: Tyme, Iman and Isaiah V.
Washington opened up about how his marriage and family affected his career in a 2022 interview with Fox News Digital. He joked to the outlet at the time: “I always told my wife, since I have the kids and a wife, that I would rather kiss a horse than a woman on screen.”
He continued: “For me, being married and having children did change a lot of my trajectory. That’s why I didn’t want to get married 25 years ago, but I’m glad I did because the wife and children really make you the best human being that you can be.”