Taraji P. Henson details the harsh realities of being a single mother

By Rollingout.com

Taraji P. Henson wouldn’t wish being a single mother on her “worst enemy.”

The 48-year-old actress has raised her son Marcell, 24, on her own since his father, William Johnson was murdered in 2003, and she admitted it’s been a huge challenge for her.

She told NET-A-PORTER’s weekly digital magazine PorterEdit: It’s hard. I dreamed he would go stay with his dad in his teens or my dad. I didn’t date. I wondered: ‘Does he have enough confidence in himself as a Black man?’

“I wouldn’t wish being a single mother on my worst enemy. You need both parents.”

Henson attends therapy every week, and the actress said that in spite of the success she’s enjoyed during her career, she still feels vulnerable to everyday pressures and worries.

She shared: “I go every Saturday to therapy. Just because you see me on television doesn’t make those voices in my head go away.”

Henson is now engaged to former NFL player Kelvin Hayden after he proposed to her in May 2018.

And the actress feels relieved that she took her time and waited for the perfect man to come into her life.

She explained: “I didn’t wanna settle. I just waited.

“[When he proposed] his hand was all clammy. [I was like] ‘Dude, you have been quizzing me for a year about getting married. Do you think I’m gonna say no?’”

Meanwhile, she previously revealed she has ambitions to “work smarter, not harder” in Hollywood.

The “Empire” star said: “I want every walk of life [in my films]. If I could put an alien in, I would.

“I want their money, too. Come on, it’s what the world looks like. That’s what people want to see, representation. That’s all. You can make money doing it. It’s a no-brainer.

“The older I get, I want to work smarter, not harder. DC, Marvel, you all can call me!”

This article originally appeared in the Rollingout.com.