What is the ‘Black Wife Effect’ and why did Kerry Washington post about it and tag ‘Scandal’ co-star Tony Goldwyn?

There’s a social media trend going around that highlights just what kind of influence a “Black Wife” will have on a (mostly white and Asian) man. It’s called the “Black Wife Effect” and it’s currently one of the most popular trends on TikTok and Instagram. Even Scandal star Kerry Washington got in on it recently, by tagging her former co star Tony Goldwyn. But why did she do it?

The #BlackWifeEffect trend has a pretty simple premise, one that’s helped it take over social media. Usually set to the tune of the hit song “Million Dollar Baby” by Tommy Richman, it features a number of photos from before the man met his wife (usually looking pretty slovenly) and then his post-marriage glow up.

Here’s a montage of some popular examples:

So is it just aesthetic? Not necessarily. TikTok user basicallybetsy2.0 makes the argument that it’s not just about hair or new clothes, it’s the idea that Black women “elevate” everything they touch.

“For me, when I’m watching the Black Wife Effect, what I’m thinking is that everything Black women touch they elevate. And that’s not just on a partner scale, that’s on a societal scale,” she said. “The fascinating thing is not that they look better, their style is better, but like you can visibly see their confidence get better. And that’s not like a physical change. That’s something of being properly cared for.”

Another TikTok user, Glo Atanmo, created one of the most popular examples of the trend with a video she captioned “Abra-ca-BLACK-ya!” Honestly, the transformation is pretty incredible. Even the comments are from shocked people.

“So she made him into a light skin black man😂😂😂,” one person said. “Girl are they handing out awards for this- where do I vote?? You win,” said another.

This brings us to Kerry Washington. If you’re a fan of the show Scandal, and by extension Ovitz, then you’re going to enjoy this. Washington is claiming she deserves the credit for Tony Goldwyn’s transformation from schleppy white guy to fashionable man.

“Tony! I’ve upgraded your life in so many ways #BlackWifeEffect, and today I’m adding one more,” Washington said on Instagram. She also encouraged everyone to vote, which is never a bad idea. “Go upgrade your voter registration status to REGISTERED 😜. Love you!!!!!!”

As fans know, Washington and Goldwyn spent seven seasons of rocky romance as Ovitz aka Fitz and Olivia. Together they overcame things like election tampering and kidnappings and eventually even got married.

Looks like the #BlackWifeEffect has been around longer than we thought! But yeah please go and register to vote that’s never a bad idea.