Who is Genesis Tennon? All we know as Viola Davis and daughter attend LA gala

Actress Viola Davis and her daughter Genesis Tennon made a striking appearance at the City Year Los Angeles' 14th Annual Spring Break Gala. Inglewood's SoFi Stadium in California hosted the event on May 10, 2025.

Renowned celebrities such as actress Juju Green, Rachael Leigh Cook, Quinta Brunson, Yvette Nicole Brown, Erik Feig, Gabrielle Walsh, and Erik Feig were also in attendance.

Viola Davis and her 14-year-old daughter's arrival grabbed the spotlight. The teen was born on July 10, 2010. According to a People report, the Doubt actress and her husband, Julius Tennon, adopted Genesis Tennon in October 2011.

In 2011, Viola announced the news of adopting a baby and embracing motherhood while walking on the red carpet of The Help film premiere event.

Everything we know about Viola Davis and Julius Tennon's daughter Genesis Tennon

Genesis Tennon hopes to become a successful actress like her parents. Viola expressed her daughter's goals in a December 2020 conversation with Ellen DeGeneres.

Recalling a conversation with her child, she shared,

"She does want to be an actress. She says, 'Mommy, I know how to live the words. I know how to breathe the words. I know how to remember the words.' And I said, 'Well, you gotta remember how to go to school and at 18, you need to remember how to get out of the house and pay your own bills.'"

In 2019, Genesis Tennon joined the entertainment industry by debuting in The Angry Birds Movie 2. She joined the team as a voice artist, lending her voice to the Vivi hatchling. Along with her mom, she attended the film premiere event.

Walking on the first red carpet was a special moment. Reminiscing about the event in an interview with Variety, she opened up excitedly,

"Well, I would randomly be like, 'Oh, I have to go to this event with my mom,' and then I would pause and be like, 'Hold up, wait a second, it's about me!' And I got excited!" Of course, her mom and dad were right there beside her for the big event."

At a young age, she explored the vast modeling industry. With her mother, she marked a prominent feature in a 2021 photo essay titled Black Americana: A Photo Essay on Love and Pain for W Magazine.

Ahead of Genesis' 14th birthday, Davis dedicated a sweet Instagram post to her daughter. Sharing a beautiful picture, she wrote,

"Me and my soon to be 14 yr old. Love her soooo much ❤️❤️❤️"

Genesis Tennon has been tagging along with her mother at events for years. Reflecting on the special loving bond between the mother-daughter duo, Viola shared with People,

"I feel like a star at home only because she loves me so much. I mean, it's a red carpet every day. It's wonderful!"

In 2017, Genesis rooted for her mom when she was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on January 5. In 2022, she joined her mother at the Public Counsel's Annual William O. Douglas Award Dinner. They were also seen together at The Woman King film's TIFF premiere in 2022.

Julius Tennon and Genesis Tennon supported Viola Davis during her Paris Fashion Week walk in October 2023. They also posed for the paparazzi on the runway.

Viola gets motivated to stay fit, seeing her teenage daughter. She was diagnosed with prediabetes in August 2016. While conversing with People in 2019, the actress revealed,

"It hit home for me. It's something that's an ongoing conversation in my life. My two sisters have Type 2 Diabetes, my great aunt had Type 2 Diabetes. [She] lost both of her legs and was in a wheelchair for decades, up until she finally succumbed to the disease. As did my grandmother on my father's side."

The Out of Sight actress also opened up about her daily lifestyle habits to stay on a healthy track.

"I consider myself to be a healthy eater, I exercise, I do it all. I want to be around for my daughter. I want to stay healthy for as long as I can for her."

Last year in April, Viola shared how she teaches her daughter to fall in love with herself. Remembering one of their conversations, she candidly shared with the outlet,

"You have to start right now to have a radical love affair with yourself, to be in touch with your inner voice, what you like, what you don't like, what's crossing the boundaries, and you honor that. And through that, that is the seed where everything grows."

She further explained,

"If I have to be small in order to build up a relationship, I'll make myself small. If I have to sacrifice my needs for others — that's a big one for women, we are considered stronger when we sacrifice our needs. I said, 'Genesis, no, do not do that. You are the love of your life, you and you alone."

While Viola Davis often opens up about Genesis Tennon in interviews, she and Julius Tennon keep their daughter's personal life private. They are particular about maintaining her privacy.