Families can be a bit confusing. And not just when it comes to behavior and relationships, but also when it comes to bloodlines. Today, many companies use genetics to trace your ancestors, all the way back to many generations. These very companies have researched famous celebrities and found out some surprising facts about their antecedents.
Bright Side delved into just a handful of these celebrities and found some relationships. Enough for us to exclaim that history truly repeats itself.
1. Beyoncé Knowles is the 25th cousin of Queen Elizabeth II.
Beyoncé Knowles, well known for being music royalty, has royal blood running in her veins too. She is the 25th cousin to Queen Elizabeth, once removed since they both share King Henry II as a common ancestor.
2. Angelina Jolie has lineage from King Phillip II of France.
King Phillip II of France ruled from 1180 to 1223 and is known to have brought financial stability to his country. He also increased the royal coffers. Actress Angelina Jolie carries French royal blood considering she is a direct descendant of Philip II. Strangely enough, she played Queen Olympias in the 2004 movie Alexander, opposite Val Kilmer’s Phillip II, only this was Phillip II of Macedonia.
3. Brad Pitt is a descendant of King Henry II of England.
Brad Pitt is no less royal either. He can trace his ancestry back to King Henry II of England, who ruled from 1154 until his death in 1189. Coincidentally, King Henry II’s wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, was first married to French royalty, making Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie somewhat predestined to a failed marriage. This also makes Pitt a 25th cousin, twice removed, to Queen Elizabeth.
4. Jane Austen is Anna Chancellor’s great-aunt.
In 1995, Anna Chancellor starred as Caroline Bingley in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice BBC Miniseries. But she has a deeper connection to Jane Austen as well. The highly venerated author is an 8-time great aunt to Chancellor.
5. H.H. Asquith is Helena Bonham Carter’s great-grandfather.
Helena Bonham Carter is best known for her off-the-beaten-path roles, like that of Mrs. Lovett in Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. But she comes from illustrious family background. Herbert Henry Asquith, the Prime Minister of the UK from 1908 to 1916, was her paternal great-grandfather. She is also related to Jane Austen, and subsequently to Anna Chancellor.
6. Harry Lloyd is a descendant of Charles Dickens.
Harry Lloyd, who plays Viserys Targaryen in Game of Thrones is the great-great-great-grandson of the famous Charles Dickens, the author. Lloyd’s mother, Marion is the descendant of the seventh child of Dickens, Henry Fielding Dickens, who in turn had 5 children.
7. Benedict Cumberbatch is the 16th cousin to King Richard III.
Benedict Cumberbatch is distantly related to King Richard III, who ruled England from 1452 to 1485. He was the last English king to have died during a battle, and later, there was a whole investigation into finding his remains, enough for a reburial. Cumberbatch, who plays Doctor Strange in the Marvel movies, is the 16th cousin to the king. He also read a poem at his royal ancestor’s reburial.
8. King Henry I is the ancestor of Sigourney Weaver.
There seem to be many celebrities who can trace their lineage right back to English kings. King Henry I, who ruled from 1100 to his death in 1135 may have died without a male heir, but his bloodlines spread far and wide. Actress Sigourney Weaver, known for her role in Alien, is a descendant of Henry I, and this also makes her the 24th cousin of the Queen, once removed.
9. Jake Gyllenhaal has antecedents back to King Edward III.
King Edward III ruled the English from 1312 to 1377 and is known as a rather conventional king, who pursued warfare but could also show great clemency. There are many celebrities who can claim blood relations with him, including Maggie and Jake Gyllenhaal. Others include Michael Douglas, Hillary Duff, and more.
10. Meghan Markle is related to William Shakespeare.
We know Meghan Markle is related to the British Royal Family, by way of her marrying Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex. But she already has famous blood in her veins, considering she is cousins with the great playwright, William Shakespeare. Markle is a fifth cousin to the Bard, 12 times removed.
11. Ozzy Osbourne is related to Tsar Nicholas II, and more.
Then there is Ozzy Osbourne, and DNA might prove there is a method to his madness. Researchers say that the singer is not just a descendant of the Neanderthal man, but also a relative of outlaw Jesse James. But his claim to royal fame is with the last Russian Tsar, Nicholas II, whose entire family was wiped out in the revolution.
12. Cary Elwes is a descendant of infamous miser John Elwes.
Actor Cary Elwes is related to John Elwes. As a man, John Elwes may have been unremarkable except for the fact that he was an extreme miser. It is also alleged that he was Charles Dickens’s inspiration behind the miserly character, Ebenezer Scrooge, in the classic A Christmas Carol.
13. The Deschanel sisters are related to Louis IV of France.
Zooey and Emily Deschanel have both made their names in Hollywood. Zooey is the star of the series New Girl, while Emily Deschanel was the heroine of Bones. And both can lay claim to royal French blood, all the way back to King Louis IV of France, who ruled from 936 to 954.
14. Anderson Cooper is Cornelius Vanderbilt’s great-grandson.
Anchor and host Anderson Cooper is the great-grandson of Cornelius Vanderbilt, the shipping and railroad magnate whose familial wealth was once more than the US treasury. His mother, Gloria Vanderbilt was the granddaughter of Cornelius, but Cooper remembers deciding to start work early, considering the family fortunes were much diminished by the time he was in his teens.
15. Robert Pattinson is a descendant of Vlad the Impaler.
Robert Pattinson may have played the love-sick vampire, Edward Cullen, in the Twilight series, but he has a real-life blood connection to “Dracula.” Bram Stoker’s famous character was allegedly inspired by the Transylvania despot, Vlad the Impaler, and Pattinson is related to him, via the British royal family.
So which of these celebrity connections really caught your interest? Do you know of your family’s famous genealogical connections too?
Angelina Jolie’s relationship with her father, Jon Voight, has been complex and fraught with tension. However, they have managed to reconcile their differences, with Voight becoming a supportive figure in Jolie’s life, particularly during her divorce from Brad Pitt.
The 18th Birthday Surprise I Planned for My Stepmom Turned Her World Upside Down
My 18th birthday was a day I’ll never forget, not just because it marked my official transition into adulthood, but because it was the day I planned to reveal a surprise for my stepmom — one that I hoped would change her life in a way she never saw coming.
Have you ever felt like life is one long, unscripted drama, where every scene holds the potential to either break you or forge you into something stronger?
My life’s been a bit like that.
Navigating through the choppy waters of loss and new beginnings, I found myself at the helm of a decision that could either be the most heartwarming episode or a plot twist gone wrong.
My name is Sarah and this is the story of how my entry into adulthood became unforgettable for the most surprising reason.
After my mom passed away when I was just 11, life felt like an endless storm. My dad, lost in his own sea of grief, found a beacon of hope in a new woman and eventually remarried.
That’s how my stepmom, Olivia, came into my life, and she would become much more than just a new face in the house. She became a great source of stability for me, always offering love and support when I needed it.
At first, though, I wasn’t ready for her. I was too angry, too wrapped up in my grief to see her for who she was. I remember the day she moved in — I stayed locked in my room, listening to the muffled sounds of her unpacking, refusing to acknowledge that she was now a part of our lives.
I thought, How could my dad move on so quickly? How could he bring someone new into our home?
But contrary to my fears, Olivia never forced her way in. She gave me space, patiently waiting until I was ready to talk. And when I finally did, she was there, listening without judgment. One night, I had a nightmare about my mom. I woke up sobbing, drenched in sweat. Olivia heard me from the hallway and quietly opened my door.
“Sarah, sweetie, it’s okay. You’re safe,” she whispered as she sat beside me, her hand gently rubbing my back. I didn’t push her away. For the first time, I let her comfort me, and as she held me, I felt a small sliver of warmth amid the grief.
And just like that, Olivia and I became close. She never tried to take my mom’s place but filled our home with a light I thought we’d lost forever. “I’m here for you, always,” she’d tell me, her words a soothing balm for my aching heart.
But life had another curveball waiting. When we lost my dad, the silence in our home was deafening. I remember us sitting in the dimly lit living room, the air heavy with fear and uncertainty.
“I can’t imagine how hard this is for you,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “But I want you to know, I’m here for you. We’re family, no matter what.”
Her words were a lifeline in my sea of despair. “But everyone’s saying you’ll leave… go back to your family,” I mumbled, struggling to hold back tears. “Will I…will I go to an orphanage?”
It wasn’t just my fear of losing her. I’d overheard people whispering at the funeral: speculations about how Olivia would pack up and leave, how she had no reason to stay now that my dad was gone. The idea terrified me. I didn’t want to be alone again.
“No, sweetie. You’re not going anywhere and neither am I. Look at me,” she said, her hand finding mine in the darkness. She then cupped my face, planting a tender kiss on my forehead. “We’ll get through this together.”
For a moment, the heaviness in my chest lifted. Olivia’s presence had always been steady, like an anchor in the storm. She stayed by my side through every awkward family gathering where people looked at us with pity and through every sleepless night where grief threatened to swallow me whole. And slowly, I began to trust that she meant it when she said she wasn’t going anywhere.
And she was right. Despite the whispers and sideways glances from others, she stayed, proving that the bonds of the family we choose are as strong as those we are born into.
On the morning of my 18th birthday, the air was thick with anticipation, not just for the usual celebrations but for a surprise I had been planning for years.
Olivia greeted me with her warm, comforting smile, one that had often brightened my mood since the day she stepped into our lives.
“Happy birthday, sweetheart,” she said, handing me a small, beautifully wrapped box. Her eyes sparkled with the love and care that had become her trademark.
I took the box, my hands shaking slightly. I wasn’t nervous about the gift inside — it was the gift I had for her that had my heart racing.
“Thank you,” I replied, my heart swelling with gratitude for this woman who had chosen to stand by me through everything. “I have a surprise for you too, but… you’ll need to pack your things.”
The look of confusion on her face was immediate. “Pack my things?” she echoed, the joy of the moment fading into uncertainty. “Are you… Are you serious?”
“Yes,” I said, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside. “I want you to pack your things in the next hour. You’re leaving this house.”
Her laughter, light and disbelieving at first, died down as she saw the seriousness in my eyes. “But why, dear? I thought we were a family…” Her voice trailed off, a hint of despair creeping in.
I could feel my resolve wavering. The way her voice cracked, the pain in her eyes — it was more than I had anticipated. But I couldn’t back down. Not now. Not yet.
“It’s time,” I began, the weight of the moment pressing down on me. “I’ve been planning this since the day Dad died. You are going to another city.”
She sat down at the kitchen table, her hands shaking as she reached for something to steady herself, but her fingers grasped at nothing. Her breath hitched as she whispered, “I don’t understand. What did I do? Why are you sending me away?”
In a moment that felt more like a scene from a movie, I loaded her sparse belongings into the car and drove her to a new destination, all while she sat beside me in a silence that was heavy with confusion and sorrow.
The drive was a long and silent one, filled with unspoken questions and tension. I was the first to talk.
“You didn’t know that my father opened an account in my name when I was a child, where he saved money for my education. Since his death, I’ve also put all my money, from my part-time jobs and gifts, into this account. Now, there’s a large sum.”
Olivia turned to me, a mixture of pain and understanding in her eyes. “I understand. You’re an adult now, you have money and you don’t need me anymore. But why are you sending me so far away? You don’t want to see me at all?”
Her voice cracked, and the words felt like daggers in my chest. I had never imagined this moment would hurt so much.
As we pulled up in front of a quaint, beautiful house, the surprise I had been harboring was finally ready to be unveiled.
“I will be spending some of this money on education,” I continued, pointing to the house. “At an Ivy League university in the city, we’re in now, where I have already been accepted. Do you see this house?”
“Yes,” she whispered, her voice laden with confusion and a trace of hope.
“I bought this house for you,” I revealed, the tension finally breaking. “There was enough money for everything. Now I will study here and you will live next door. We won’t have to be apart, and if you want, you can go back to our old house at any time, or we can return together after I finish my studies.”
She sat in stunned silence for a long moment, her eyes locked on the house. “You… you bought this for me?” she whispered, her voice shaking.
The tears came then, unbidden and free, marking the moment with an emotional intensity that words could hardly capture. We hugged, our tears mingling, a testament to the depth of our bond and the love that had grown between us over the years.
“I love you, Sarah,” said Olivia, her voice barely a whisper but still audible.
“I love you, too,” I replied, reaching for the house keys in my bag and placing them in her hand.
It was a birthday unlike any other, marked not just by the receiving of gifts, but by the giving of a future, a home, and a promise of continued family, no matter what life might bring.
This was our story, a stepdaughter and her stepmom, navigating the complexities of life together, proving that love, indeed, knows no bounds.
As we stood there, holding onto each other in front of her new home, I felt a wave of relief wash over me. I had done it: I had given back to the woman who had given me so much.
For the first time in years, I felt like I could truly breathe, knowing that we had a future, together.
Do you think my surprise was a good one?
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