Hollywood is no stranger to family drama – but behind the scenes, there are some surprisingly wholesome (and outright wacky) links hiding in plain sight.
From A-list actors to seasoned politicians, the family lines behind some of the world's most recognisable figures are far more intertwined than you'd expect.
Read on to see for yourself.
During the 2008 US election campaign, it emerged that Brad Pitt and Barack Obama share a common ancestor, making them ninth cousins.
The family line traces back to a figure who lived in Virginia in the 1700s, with Obama later quipping: "I think he got the better-looking side of the gene pool."
Meanwhile, Meryl Streep and Anna Wintour's overlap goes well beyond Condé Nast.
Watch the video at the top of the page.
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Genealogy research has uncovered that the Oscar-winning actress and the longtime Vogue editor-in-chief are sixth cousins, sharing the same fifth-great-grandparents.
For friends Ashley Tisdale and Austin Butler, they learned they are tenth cousins, which led Tisdale to say: "No wonder we have such a connection!"
She said they had often joked that they felt like siblings.
Actors Elle and Dakota Fanning are also said to have a surprising link to British royalty.
They have been traced back to King Edward III, putting them in the same extended family line as Catherine, Princess of Wales.
Some connections have landed in less expected territory.
Madonna has been identified as a distant relative of Pope Leo XIV, despite a long history of public criticism from the Catholic Church.
For decades, she's drawn fierce backlash from senior figures in the Church over her use of religious imagery, dating back to the late 1980s.
Her Like a Prayer era, in particular, ignited outrage, with calls for boycotts and public condemnation that followed her for years.
After years of portraying Bernie Sanders on television, Larry David discovered the two were actually related.
They share ancestry from the same region in Europe, prompting David to react: "What the hell!" before adding, "Alright, cousin Bernie!"
Music has produced similar discoveries.
Britney Spears and NSYNC singer Lance Bass were found to be sixth cousins once removed, a tie Bass said "means so much to me," given how close they had been for years.
On the set of Love Actually, a family link also surfaced between Thomas Brodie-Sangster and Hugh Grant.
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Brodie-Sangster, who was a teenager at the time, revealed they were second cousins once removed – a detail Grant had not been aware of until filming was underway.
Reports have suggested a shared ancestry between Sam Smith and siblings Lily and Alfie Allen, several generations back, though the claim has drawn mixed responses.
Lily has confirmed the connection on social media, while Alfie initially dismissed it.
Paris Hilton's lineage, meanwhile, places her within reach of old Hollywood royalty.
The hotel heiress is related to screen legend Elizabeth Taylor through her great-uncle, Conrad "Nicky" Hilton Jr., who was married to Taylor.
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Title: Hollywood's big fat family reunion: Inside the most unexpected family ties
Sourced From: celebrity.nine.com.au/latest/celebrities-who-are-distantly-related-brad-pitt-meryl-streep-obama-britney-spears/5807e2b6-c071-4cc8-a5ba-81bb2ac4a788
Published Date: Fri, 17 Apr 2026 05:04:00 GMT
