The longer we live, the more we wonder about those who came before us. As a matter of fact, many of us now use DNA testing kits to learn more about our heritage. Sometimes these tests lead to unexpected results, like discovering long-lost cousins or finding that you actually have Asian roots. Even celebrities are jumping on the DNA-testing bandwagon, and like the rest of us, some celebrities received surprising results.
Here are seven celebrities who received shocking results from home DNA kits:
Snoop Dogg
Snoop traced his heritage around nine years ago for chat show Lopez Tonight. Much to the rapper’s surprise, he’s only 71% sub-Saharan African. Results showed the remaining 29% split between Native American (23%) and European (6%). Turns out that Dogg could potentially be related to another famous animal man… like Sitting Bull!
Eva Longoria
Eva Longoria has always believed that her family is Mexican-American, considering that her ancestors settled in Corpus Christi, Texas. However, a DNA test actually revealed her roots go all the way back to Spain. The in-depth results showed that her ancestor, Lorenzo Longoria, migrated west following a land dispute in the 16th century. Over a century later, the Longorias received 4000 acres in Texas from the King of Spain. The family has remained in Texas ever since. What other shocking information did Longoria discover? It turns out that she’s cellist Yo Yo Ma’s distant relative.
Benedict Cumberbatch
Renowned for playing the titular character in Sherlock, London-born actor Benedict Cumberbatch actually has familial connections to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The two famous men are actually 16th cousins twice removed, and both are direct descendants of John of Gaunt, the first Duke of Lancaster. People say that we’re all born to do something, and it looks like Cumberbatch serves as the perfect example!
Donald Trump
US President Donald Trump may want to tighten up our country’s borders, but he’s a product of immigration, just like everyone else. Records show that Trump’s grandfather immigrated from Germany to America in 1885. After striking it rich in the gold rush, Trump’s grandfather moved back to Germany, married his wife, and returned to New York. Trump’s mother also descended from immigrants, settling in the United States after arriving from Scotland in 1930.
George Clooney
We’d perhaps all love to have a Clooney gene, and we must be onto something. The suave actor comes from impressive roots. In fact, he’s related to none other than Abraham Lincoln! Lincoln’s mother and Clooney’s fourth great-grandmother were half-siblings, which makes Clooney and Lincoln half-first cousins five times removed.
Bob Marley
When we think of iconic musician Bob Marley, we often think of Jamaica as well as his African roots. However, Marley’s father, Norval, was actually an Englishman and a captain of the Royal Marines.His mother, on the other hand, was born in Jamaica after her relatives were shipped over as slaves from Ghana.
David Cameron
Former British Prime Minister David Cameron’s past is quite intriguing. He’s not only the Queen’s fifth cousin twice removed, but he’s also related to Josslyn Victor Hay, the subject of the movie White Mischief. What’s more, Cameron’s family also previously owned slaves. They even received compensation following the abolition of slavery.
It’s easy to see why home DNA kits are all the hype right now. Not only can the anticipation captivate you, but as we see with these celebrities, you never know what you might discover!
Have you tried a DNA ancestry test? If so, what fun family history did you discover? Share your tales with us in the comments!
Featured Photo via wikimedia commons
I’m 46% English and Northwestern European With Ancestry In Belgium,The Channel Islands,England, and Wales,24% Scottish,7% Germanic European With Ancestry In Germany and The Netherlands In Europe,6% Norwegian,5% Irish With Ancestry In A Province Of Northern Ireland and The Republic Of Ireland,4% Northern Italian With Ancestry In What Is Venice,3% Swedish,2% Southern Italian Which I Know Is From Sicily,2% European Jewish Which In Fact Is From Poland,Ukraine,and Israel Which I For Sure Know Is In Western Asia and Not Europe,and 1% Malian But I’m Ginger!!
So you’re very cosmopolitan then.
what
i have no idea on who anyone is