Barack Obama has an intriguing family connection to a renowned Hollywood actress that many might find surprising.
Uncovering your family’s roots can lead to some fascinating discoveries, both pleasant and unexpected. It highlights how intertwined our world truly is.
Within the world of celebrities, there are some peculiar links bringing together some unexpected individuals. For example, think of Kevin Bacon and his wife Kyra Sedgwick or the unique connection between Madonna and Pope Leo XIV.
Madonna herself was stunned upon discovering her connection to Pope Leo, although this wasn’t his only celebrity relation.
Barack Obama, too, has a fascinating lineage, being distantly related to an iconic figure from Hollywood. Back in the 2008 election campaign, he didn’t shy away from sharing this fun fact.
During an appearance on “The View,” before securing his victory over John McCain, Obama was asked about this famous relative.
Can you guess who it is? It’s none other than Brad Pitt, known from Fight Club.
On the show, Joy Behar inquired about his connection to Pitt, to which Obama cheerfully replied: “I guess we’re ninth cousins, something removed – or something like that.”
He light-heartedly added, “I think he got the better-looking side of the gene pool.”
This quirky fact is entirely accurate. Both Obama and Pitt trace their ancestry back to Edwin Hickman, born in the late 17th century in Virginia, making them ninth cousins.
Obama joins a list of politicians linked to stars from Tinseltown.
Another well-known pair of ninth cousins are Hillary Clinton and Angelina Jolie, who, interestingly, was once married to Brad Pitt until their recent separation.
Researchers from NEHGS identified that Clinton and Jolie share ancestry through Jean Cusson, who died in Quebec in 1718.
Clinton also shares distant familial ties with musical legends like Alanis Morissette, Celine Dion, and Madonna, courtesy of her mother’s French-Canadian roots.
The genealogy expert Child remarked, “It’s amazing how seemingly unrelated people can share a family line.”
