by Marcus Greenlee, BDO Contributing Writer
Award-winning actress Viola Davis has a lot to celebrate lately. She’s been in the critically-acclaimed film “AIR” about Michael Jordan’s relationship with Nike, she has a number of high-profile films coming out this year, and she just celebrated 20 years of being married to the ‘man of her dreams.’
Davis shared a heartwarming message in celebration of her 20-year marriage to her husband, Julius Tennon. In an Instagram post, the EGOT-winning actress began with, “20 years of connection.”
“We’ve seen the loss of family members and held each other up,” Davis continued. “We’ve had accolades, triumphs, joy, grief, exhaustion and still I feel your grip. Through the fire and brimstone of life we have held on…together…..to each other….understanding no matter what, the promise is to not let go.”
The post included pictures of the couple through the years, including one from the wedding day and another with their daughter, Genesis. Tennon also has two other children from previous relationships.
Davis concluded the post by writing, “To the end my love,” adding, “Happy 20th Anniversary.”
The two stars met while working on the CBS show City of Angels in 1999.
Davis told People that she hesitated to reach out to Julius after he gave her a card with his information.
“I didn’t call him for six weeks,’ she admitted. ‘I had bad credit at the time. I had anxiety attacks from driving. I had to work out some personal issues first.”
But before she even met her ‘knight in shining armor’ Davis stated that she prayed for the specific type of man she wanted to marry.
In a 2013 Page Six interview, Viola famously shared that it was this special prayer she uttered when hoping to meet a husband.
“I was the loneliest woman in the world, and someone said, ‘You should just pray for a husband,’” she told the outlet.
She shared that she prayed for “a big Black man from the South who looked like a football player, who already had children, who maybe had been married before.”
They initially tied the knot on June 23, 2003, but had another wedding weeks later.
“The first time we got married with 15 people in our condo. It wasn’t big enough,” Viola explained to Jimmy Kimmel in 2016.
“So, three months later we went to Rhode Island with about 100 people,” she shared.
In a 2017 interview with OWN, the silver screen icon said, “After my first date with Julius, my life got better [in] every way. Anxiety went away, fear went away. He just made my life better.”
The lovely couple eventually went on to renew their vows on Valentine’s Day 2016 after 13 years of marriage.
“I wanted to have a ceremony that was really pretty with the fabulous dress and the fabulous food,” Davis dished to wedding website, The Knot.
“We had the greatest food, our signature drinks. It was called the Ju-V juice,” she recalled.In a 2020 wedding anniversary post shared to social media, Viola wrote, ’17 years of marriage to the most beautiful man in the WORLD!!!!
‘You have made my life sweeter and my heart bigger. I prayed for you and God said,”Yes! I have just the right person for you!!!!” Happy Anniversary my love… The best is yet to be.’
