When ESSENCE’s September digital cover star Viola Davis isn’t busy kicking butt in movies like The Woman King, she is being a mother to her 12-year-old daughter, Genesis Tennon. Her pre-teen is blossoming beautifully and popped out with her mom to the global premiere of the Oscar winner’s latest film. The two ladies were also accompanied by Julius Tennon, Viola’s husband and Genesis’s father.
The mother-daughter duo looked stunning rocking vibrant gowns. Davis took to Instagram to thank her team for the glow they gave her at the premiere, which took place at the Toronto International Film Festival.
“Thank you to my amazing glam squad for helping me shine so brightly at the #TheWomanKing World Premiere at @TIFF_NET! Thank you to our wonderful cast, director, and producers, as well as family and friends, for showing up and showing out in Toronto! 🧡💖🧡💖,” she wrote on Instagram.
Davis, 57, is sharing more of her daughter these days, and we’re welcoming it with open arms. She posted a throwback image of her family of three in late August and captioned it, “My loves.”
In July, the month prior, she shared rare professional images of her daughter as the pre-teen marked her 12th birthday. The images were accompanied by a warm birthday tribute from Davis.
“Happy birthday to my HEART!!!! My LOVE!!!!!! MY EVERYTHING!!!! My G!! Happy 12th birthday!!!!” she wrote. “I love you beyond anything I could imagine ❤❤❤❤”
Genesis was adopted by the star and Tennon in 2011. In 2019, Davis spoke to PEOPLE about her love for her daughter.
“It surpasses anything that I could want from the material world. I empower her to understand that she has to count it all as joy. Even her mistakes, her failures, her triumphs, what she looks like, all of it,” she said. “That’s all a part of her loving herself, even if none of those things change.”
Here are more pictures of mother and daughter over the years.
01
2015
Mother and daughter at one of their first red carpet events — the premiere of the animated film “Home” in 2015.
02
2017
Genesis planted a kiss on the cheek of her famous mom at the ceremony for Davis’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
03
2017
It was a family affair as Genesis posed for pictures with Davis, her dad Julius Tennon, and her maternal aunt Deloris Grant.
04
2019
The family were quite happy despite checking out the premiere of “The Angry Birds Movie 2” in 2019.
05
2020
Mother and daughter share a sweet moment at yet another premiere. This time, they were photographed at the movie premiere for the film “Troop Zero.”
06
2021
Viola and Genesis enjoyed the Pre-Emmy luxury lounge event put on by HempHera Kosmetikos in 2021.
