Denzel Washington: I will break somebody’s back if they mess with my daughter
The Oscar winner’s child Olivia has followed in her father’s footsteps.
Actor Denzel Washington has threatened to break the back of anybody in the film industry who behaves inappropriately towards his actress daughter Olivia.
The two-time Oscar winner was asked if he thought that the industry had changed following the sexual harassment scandal.
Washington, 63, told the i newspaper: “I hope so. I think there are just more rules in place. Time will tell on this one but it’s good right now.”
Olivia, 27, appeared in 2013 film The Butler which starred Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey. She also played an FBI agent in three episodes of TV crime drama Mr Robot.
She is one of Washington’s four children with his wife Pauletta. She has a twin brother called Malcolm as well as an older brother and sister, John and Katia.
Her father was asked if he at least felt she was safeguarded as a young actress in the wake of widespread coverage of the Hollywood sexual harassment controversy and the #MeToo Movement it spawned.
The Training Day star replied: “Yes, plus I will break somebody’s back if they mess around with my daughter.
“Let that be the message to put out there. Their back will be broken.”
Washington also discussed how on his 60th birthday he decided to give up up alcohol for the latter stage of his life.
He said: “Moderation is the key. If you drink too much water you’ll drown. I’m not drinking alcohol.”
On whether his decision to quit had changed his perspecitve on life, Washington added: “I hope so.
“I’ll put it this way. When you’re toasted you need a day to recover. You get a hangover. So that’s two days out of your life.
“I don’t have time to waste. Let’s say there’s 365 days in a year, so in 10 years that’s 3650, so how many days do you want to waste?”
The full interview with Washington is available to read in Friday’s issue of the i newspaper.
