Barack Obama had surprising response when asked about famous relative that most people had no idea about
Barack Obama has a surprising family connection to Hollywood superstar Brad Pitt, revealing just how small the world can be. The former president confirmed their distant relation during a 2008 appearance on *The View*, joking that Pitt “got the better-looking side of the gene pool.”
The two are ninth cousins, linked through a shared ancestor named Edwin Hickman, who died in Virginia in 1769. Genealogist Christopher Child explained that such connections are more likely among people with roots in the same region—in this case, the American South.
Obama isn’t the only political figure with unexpected celebrity ties. Hillary Clinton is also distantly related to Angelina Jolie, Pitt’s ex-wife. Researchers found that Clinton and Jolie share a common ancestor, Jean Cusson, who died in Quebec in 1718.
Clinton’s French-Canadian ancestry connects her to other famous names, including Madonna, Celine Dion, and Alanis Morissette. These discoveries highlight how intertwined family histories can be, even among seemingly unrelated public figures.
Child noted that such findings prove “lots of different people can be related, people you wouldn’t necessarily expect.” The revelations often surprise even the celebrities themselves, as seen with Madonna’s reaction to her link to Pope Leo XIV.
These bizarre connections remind us that genealogy can uncover unexpected bonds between the most unlikely individuals. Whether through shared ancestors or regional ties, family trees often stretch further than we realize.
From politicians to A-list actors, these surprising relationships prove that fame doesn’t make anyone immune to the quirks of ancestry. It truly is a small world after all.
