{"id":12310,"date":"2025-11-14T05:10:37","date_gmt":"2025-11-14T05:10:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cnews.topnewsource.com\/?p=12310"},"modified":"2025-11-14T05:10:37","modified_gmt":"2025-11-14T05:10:37","slug":"he-proposed-to-me-three-times-the-unbelievable-test-of-sincerity-pauletta-washington-gave-denzel-after-his-1981-carbon-copy-movie-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cnews.topnewsource.com\/?p=12310","title":{"rendered":"“He proposed to me three times” The unbelievable test of sincerity Pauletta Washington gave Denzel after his 1981 Carbon Copy movie success"},"content":{"rendered":"

The nearly four-decade marriage between two-time Oscar winner <\/span>Denzel Washington<\/span><\/b> and actress and musician <\/span>Pauletta Washington<\/span><\/b> is legendary in Hollywood for its strength and longevity.<\/span> However, the path to their commitment was anything but straightforward, involving a famous “triple proposal”<\/b> where Pauletta said ‘No’\u2014twice\u2014to the future cinematic icon.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Pauletta Washington revealed the humorous but sincere reason behind her rejections on The Oprah Winfrey Show<\/i> in 1996<\/b>: she wanted to ensure Denzel’s desire for marriage was genuine and lasting, not merely a fleeting high fueled by his sudden professional success.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\ud83d\udc8d The ‘Triple Proposal’ and the Carbon Copy<\/i> Context<\/span><\/h3>\n

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The couple first met in <\/span>1977<\/span><\/b> on the set of the TV film <\/span>Wilma<\/span><\/i><\/b>, a biography of Olympic sprinter <\/span>Wilma Rudolph<\/span><\/b>.<\/span> Their romance blossomed, but Pauletta, a classically trained graduate of Juilliard, set a rigorous standard for commitment.<\/span><\/p>\n

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As she recounted to Oprah, Denzel’s proposals were met with initial resistance: “He proposed to me three times. The first time I said no, the second time I said no, and the third time I said yes.”<\/span><\/p>\n

The context surrounding these proposals is crucial: Pauletta was testing Denzel’s sincerity in the face of his rapidly burgeoning stardom. Around the time of the initial proposals, Denzel was experiencing a significant career milestone: his feature film debut in the <\/span>1981<\/span><\/b> comedy-drama <\/span>Carbon Copy<\/span><\/i><\/b>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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    Notable Event:<\/b> In the film, directed by <\/span>Michael Schultz<\/span><\/b>, a young Denzel Washington played the role of <\/span>Roger Porter<\/span><\/b>, the illegitimate Black son of a wealthy white executive.<\/span> This role marked his major entry into Hollywood feature films.<\/span><\/p>\n

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    Pauletta\u2019s hesitance was a deliberate attempt to see past the excitement of his new Hollywood trajectory and confirm that his commitment was rooted in their personal, spiritual foundation. Denzel\u2019s perseverance after the first two rejections was the definitive proof she was looking for.<\/span><\/p>\n

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    \ud83c\udfad Enduring Love and a Legacy of Success<\/span><\/h3>\n

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    Denzel, with his characteristic charm, has often made light of the rejections, joking in subsequent interviews, “Who would say no to Denzel Washington twice?”<\/b>\u2014a quip that underscores his ultimate success and Pauletta\u2019s unshakeable resolve.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Their enduring commitment was finalized with their marriage in <\/span>1983<\/span><\/b>.<\/span> Twelve years later, in <\/span>1995<\/span><\/b>, they reaffirmed their bond by renewing their vows in South Africa, with the late <\/span>Archbishop Desmond Tutu<\/span><\/b> officiating the ceremony.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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    The Washingtons’ marriage has produced four children, all of whom have established successful careers in the film industry, forging a true Hollywood dynasty:<\/span><\/p>\n

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      John David Washington:<\/span><\/b> Actor, notably the lead in Spike Lee’s <\/span>BlacKkKlansman<\/span><\/i><\/b> (2018).<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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      Katia Washington:<\/b> Producer.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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      Olivia Washington:<\/span><\/b> Actress\/Filmmaker (twin).<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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      Malcolm Washington:<\/span><\/b> Actor\/Filmmaker (twin).<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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      The Washingtons’ story serves as a powerful reminder that in the volatile world of celebrity, a solid, lasting commitment is often achieved through perseverance, patience, and a genuine test of sincerity.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      The nearly four-decade marriage between two-time Oscar winner Denzel Washington and actress and musician Pauletta Washington is legendary in Hollywood for its strength and longevity. However, the path to their commitment was anything but straightforward, involving a famous “triple proposal” where Pauletta said ‘No’\u2014twice\u2014to the future cinematic icon. Pauletta Washington revealed the humorous but sincere…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12310","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cnews.topnewsource.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12310","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cnews.topnewsource.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cnews.topnewsource.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cnews.topnewsource.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cnews.topnewsource.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12310"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cnews.topnewsource.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12310\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cnews.topnewsource.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12310"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cnews.topnewsource.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12310"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cnews.topnewsource.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12310"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}