John Lamparski/WireImageCongratulations, Kerry Washington, you have been selected as the new editor-in-chief of E! Online!
We know, it's a dream job, and it's a lot to take in, but the Scandal star earned this illustrious promotion last night after suggesting this gem of a headline for this very story: "We Found Out Where Olivia Pope Is and It's Crazier Than We Imagined."
So clicky! So juicy! Done and done.
Now, on to the minor details. Where, um, exactly is Olivia Pope when we finally see her again when Scandal returns Sept. 25? It's only the show's biggest kept secret, so, just lay it on us!
"I know where Olivia went, but I really dont know a lot," Kerry told us, at Allstate's unveiling of the Purple Purse Program (more info on that important cause below—so please keep reading!). "I'm actualy glad we dont get like a full outline of the season, because then I don't have to feel bad about lying to people and not telling things. I don't know what's going on. All I have is through episode four, aso I know a bit more than you do."
Yup. Despite Kerry's awesome headline suggestion, she's definitely not telling us where Olivia is. She wants you to enjoy the thrill of seeing it all unfold, and keep her Scandal job. THE NERVE.
However, now that we know that wherever Olivia went with Jake (Scott Foley) is "crazier than we've imagined," we can rule out the following: Antartica, Huck's bathroom, Mama Pope's charming guest cottage, Mellie's bed, Desmond's hatch, riding a unicorn through a poppy field, redecorating the B613 black hole of despair, or Narnia.
Hope we didn't give too much away.
Now on a far more serious (and important!) note, we caught up with Kerry last night at the launch of Allstate Foundation's Purple Purse Program, where the Scandal star unveiled the new limited-edition bag she personally designed to raise awareness for domestic violence and financial abuse. You can get it here: http://www.purplepurse.com.
It's a passion project for Kerry, who has been a longtime advocate for causes that protect women. "Purple is the color for domestic violence awareness," the actress explained. "It's the signature color and a purse is the symbol of where a woman's economic power lives. It's where we keep our keys and our phone and wallet; all of that, our economic well-being, lives in our purse. So the bag is really a symbol of taking your purse strings back, taking your strength back in the face of abuse… I don't want to make it sound like this is a quick fix, but 98 percent of domestic violence cases involve financial abuse. When we say financial abuse it means controlling finances, destroying someone's credit, jeopardizing their employment, these are all ways money is used to control in an abusive situation and make someone feel like they can't leave or making it almost impossible for someone to leave."
Despite being a new mom and one of the hardest-working actresses in Hollywood, Kerry finds the time to champion important causes.
"For many years I've worked with VDay, which works to end violence against women," Kerry said. "We've always said we wanted to put ourselves out of business at VDay by ending violence against women. So when this opportunity came along, it just felt like a way for me to be a part of a very tangible, concrete solution; giving women the tools they need to be more economically self-sufficient and more empowered to take care of themselves and to walk away."
At press time, the Purple Purse initiative has raised nearly $500,000. For a $10 donation, you can enter a chance to win a purse designed by Kerry Washington.
For the same money, Kerry will not tell you where Olivia Pope is. So, please, go for the purse. It can do so very much good.