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"It was the worst way you could die."
Taraji P. Henson opened up about a tough moment of truth between her and her son, Marcell.
On Wednesday's new episode of her Facebook Watch series "Peace of Mind with Taraji," the 50-year-old actress revealed how her boy found out his father, William LaMarr Johnson, was murdered when Marcell -- now 36 -- was just a child.
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"My son's father was suddenly taken, murdered, when he was 9, and I didn't know how to tell him that," said Henson. "I couldn't tell him he was murdered, so I told him he died in an accident. Later on in life he found out and he came back to me and was like, 'Why didn't you tell me my daddy was murdered?' And so then we had to get therapy."
After asking for advice for talking to children about similar situations, therapist Sierra Hillsman said parents have to explain that "sometimes there are situations where people do evil things to other people."
"I didn't have the balls. I didn't. It wouldn't come out. I hid it. I read the, actual ..." replied Henson, getting choked up. "It was in the paper and I didn't know how to tell him. He was stabbed to death, it was the worst way you could die. I just didn't have the words. I didn't know how to tell a 9-year-old ... that there was so much hate in the world that someone would do that."
"I tried to show him the happy side of life," she added. "I grew up in the hood and I wanted to keep that from him. I just didn’t have the words, and we suffered later for it."
Earlier this week, Henson was joined on her show by King Von's ex Asian Doll and Pop Smoke's brother, Obasi Jackson, who also both talked about experiencing sudden loss. Watch that episode below:
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