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In the latest issue of “Ebony,” Hollywood’s latest “It Girl,” Kerry Washington, who graces the cover, says that she would have passed on the role of Olivia Pope if the White, married president that she has a steamy affair with on the show had been Black.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, then you know that ABC’s Scandal is the break out hit of the season and Washington is riding high off the success of both the television series and the most controversial movie of 2012, Django Unchained.

Still, she — or rather her Scandal character Olivia– is not beloved by all.

Most recently, Washington has taken heat for guilty-pleasure affair with the fictitious President of the United States, from none other than Star Jones, who voiced her concern with the show’s creator, Shonda Rhimes:

To which Rhimes responded:

The scandalous nature of her relationship with the POTUS on the show does not escape Washington, who says that is exactly why she would have passed on the role if the character were played by a Black man.

See an ABC mash-up of Olivia and Fitz’s love affair below:

Excerpt from EBONY interview:

“I was a little concerned because [the character has] a scandalous relationship with the [occupant of the] White House,” the actress said. “I thought, ‘If the president on the show is Black, I will not do the show.’ Because to me, it was too important a moment. I didn’t want to do anything that compromised my relationship with the [president] or that made it seem like I had an insider view on the Obama presidency. I thought that would be so disrespectful and so against all the work that I had done.”

Washington has long been a vocal and active supporter of President Obama and gave a powerful speech at the Democratic National Convention in 2012.

The ‘Ebony’ Scandal Issue hit newsstands February 5.

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