Viola Davis reveals personal trauma influenced novel Judge Stone key character

Viola Davis, in addition to starring in films, TV series, and Broadway shows. Now, she has written a new novel.

Named Judge Stone, is a legal thriller about a Black female judge who is presiding over a case of a teenage girl having an illegal abortion after rape.

Davis shared that to write the book and the young girl character who experienced a shocking incident, she drew from her own experience of facing sexual assault.

"I felt a responsibility to women who have been sexually assaulted and raped, especially children, as I am one of them. And what they also deserve is the truth of how it made them feel."

Besides this, Davis adds parts of her life to the story of a young girl in the novel as inspiration.

"All of it. Every single bit of my story influenced all of these characters. I feel that it is my duty to honour six-year-old Viola. I can't sort of think about her dimples without thinking about the fact that she always felt ugly."

As an EGOT winner, Davis was asked in an interview with CBS whether her new book marks the start of another career for her.

"Perhaps. I don't know. I don't. I don't know what this chapter in my life is about, you know? Maybe a little bit more writing, or maybe travel, you know? She replied.

"Maybe just being a regular person. I think I've earned that, you know? EGOT is not going to be on my gravestone, just put it that way. I don't think there's enough space, but 'Beloved', there's enough space for 'Beloved', you know?"

It is worth noting that Davis wrote Judge Stone with James Patterson. She has previously written a memoir, Finding Me, and a children's fiction book, Corduroy Takes a Bow.