Kerry Washington was rumored a lesbian because she has always been tight-lipped about her love life. Amid gossip blogs writing about her sexual orientation, she remained confident and was not even fazed a bit.

"It's interesting how much people long to fill in the gaps when someone in the public eye doesn't share their personal life," she told the Advocate. "I understand their frustration. I like how people will post pictures of me with other women that I adore, hugging on red carpets, and say, 'See?' Are we so uncomfortable with love between two people of the same gender that we immediately label it as sexual? But I've never been bothered by the lesbian rumor. There's nothing offensive about it, so there's no reason to be offended."

The Scandal actress is not gay. She married NFL player Nnamdi Asomugha in a secret ceremony and reportedly had their first child four months along into the pregnancy. She is an A-list, Emmy-nominated star but she's managed to keep her private life behind doors. She knows of closeted colleagues in the biz and she and her friends have even compared being closeted with being a "white" in the black community, rooting it back to society's prejudices.

Washington has been a supporter of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community and has even been an honorary co-chair for the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network's Respect Awards in August, pushing initiatives against bullying.

"When you buy into the cultural idea of what's acceptable and unacceptable, you reinforce negative stereotypes and prejudices," she said. "That wouldn't work for me. I don't love to give advice to anyone because we all have to make our own choices, but I'd want to live my life in truth. But there also have to be changes within the Hollywood community. Casting directors and producers have to look beyond sexual orientation in the way that they're just barely, barely beginning to look beyond race. Until Hollywood learns that actors are artists of transformation, it will continue to be limiting for minorities."

Watch Kerry Washington as she hosted a Saturday Night Live episode. Get ready for some laughs:

Source: NBC.com