Viola Davis, 56, is known as one of Hollywood’s most talented actresses, but she’s also a doting mom! The beauty is proudly raising her goal-oriented daughter Genesis, 11, and it’s become one of her favorite parts of life. In addition to teaching her lessons, the doting parent also makes sure her mini-me is a part of her exciting Hollywood career by often bringing her to events and posing for epic pics on red carpets.
Find out more about Genesis and the sweet relationship she has with Viola below!
Viola adopted Genesis in 2011.
Genesis was just an infant when Viola and her husband Julius Tennon, whom she married in 2003, welcomed her into their family. She joined Julius’ two children he had from previous relationships and quickly became a joy for the loving parents.
Genesis has already started an acting career like her mom.
In an interview with PEOPLE in 2019, Viola admitted her daughter has expressed an interest in acting. She appeared in the 2019 animated fil, The Angry Birds 2, but the concerned mom, who is the only black actress to win an Oscar, Emmy, and Tony Award, wants to make sure she guides her on her acting journey by using her own experience.
“I empower her to understand that she has to count it all as joy,” Viola told the outlet. “Even her mistakes, her failures, her triumphs, what she looks like, all of it. That’s all a part of her loving herself, even if none of those things change.”
She added, “I tell her that she’s going to make some big old mistakes, and that Mommy is not going to have the answers, and sometimes you’re not either. I’m the mom who says, ‘You’re good enough wherever you are, but there’s going to be times when you don’t feel good enough.’ I’m not the mom who’s just going to tell her a bunch of lies about life, because I want her to be the best woman in the room.”
Genesis loves Harry Potter.
The cutie celebrated her 11th birthday with a Harry Potter-inspired cake, which Viola showed off in a post on Instagram. The family posed behind it while spending time at The Sugar Factory in Los Angeles, CA.
“Can it get anymore perfect!?!?! ALL my loves….daughter, hubby and my mommy,” Viola captioned the epic snapshot on July 19. “Happy 11th birthday G. Mama, Daddy and Grandma love you sooo much. You make my life. Love YOU!!!”
Viola and Genesis both modeled for Beyonce’s Ivy Park collection.
The mother and daughter, who are both fans of the singer got to pose in stylish outfits for one of her campaigns. Viola modeled a brown and red monogram sheer panel set from the Honey Drip collection and Genesis modeled a signature pink cargo hoodie and sweatpants, with a matching beanie.
In an interview with Ellen DeGeneres in 2016, Viola hilariously talked about Genesis’ love for Beyonce and how she reacted when she couldn’t go to the songstress’ Lemonade tour. “We said no, you cannot go to Beyoncé Genesis. She went, ‘Noooooo, you don’t know what Lemonade means to me, Mommy. You don’t know what Beyonce means to my life,” Viola said.
Viola has the sweetest way of explaining Genesis’ adoption to her.
“I always tell Genesis she was born from my heart, not my belly,” Viola told InStyle in a 2017 interview. “There are so many ways to mother rather than to carry a child in your body. So many children need parents, and so many of us want to mother. Know that you will experience motherhood to the full extent.”