Latest news with #familytree
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Finding Your Roots'' Henry Louis Gates Jr. Presents Pope Leo with Family Tree, Confirming His Surprising Celebrity Relatives
Henry Louis Gates Jr. the host and executive producer of the Emmy-nominated PBS show Finding Your Roots, traveled to the Vatican on July 5 to meet with Pope Leo XIV to present his genealogical research His research confirmed that Pope Leo XIV is related to several celebrities including Madonna, Angelina Jolie, and Justin Bieber, among others It was also confirmed that Pope Leo has mixed Black and European ancestryHenry Louis Gates Jr. is taking on his latest genealogy adventure! On Saturday, July 5, the host and executive producer of the Emmy-nominated PBS show Finding Your Roots traveled to the Vatican to meet with Pope Leo XIV to present his genealogical research on his family tree. Gates, 74, confirmed that the first American pontiff is related to Madonna, Angelina Jolie, Justin Bieber, Pierre and Justin Trudeau, Hilary Clinton, and Jack Kerouac, which was previously reported by The New York Times. Pope Leo, 69 is ninth-cousin several times removed to the high profile bunch, and they are linked through a maternal ancestor who was born in the 1590s, per Gates' research. Additionally, the pope has two freedom fighters in his family tree, and has multiracial lineage. Gates was able to trace Pope Leo's ancestry back 15 generations, and confirmed that several of his ancestors were enslaved people, while others in his lineage were slaveholders. He also has mixed Black and European ancestry. In his post, which featured several photos from their visit, Gates wrote: "On Saturday, my wife, the historian Dr. Marial Iglesias Utset, and I were granted the profound honor of a private audience with His Holiness Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican to present him with a copy of his family tree." "She and I had worked with an outstanding team of researchers to publish it in The New York Times Sunday Magazine and were deeply grateful for the chance to walk His Holiness through the branches of his family tree, sharing stories of his ancestors back to his 12th great-grandparents who were born some 500 years ago," he continued. "This was one of the most meaningful and deeply moving moments of our lives." According to the Chicago Sun Times, Prevost was raised by his parents, Louis, an educator, and Mildred, a librarian, alongside his two siblings, Louis and John. He is also a dual citizen of Peru, having previously served as the leader of the Augustinian order after serving as the bishop of the city of Chiclayo, Peru. Sacred Heart University catholic studies professor Dr. Charlie Gillepsie previously told PEOPLE that the new pope's election is a 'clear signal that the College of Cardinals felt the calling of the spirit to elect someone for the whole globe.' Gillepsie said he was 'surprised and excited," about the first American pontiff. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. ABC News spoke to one of his two brothers, John Prevost, upon Pope Leo's election to the papacy. "I don't know how many people will find it interesting, but when he was in first grade, a woman across the street that we used to play with the kids, and a woman down the street said he would be the first American pope. In first grade, they said that," said Prevost in May. New episodes of Finding Your Roots air Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on PBS, and are available to stream online. Read the original article on People
The Guardian
11-07-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Experience: a postcard delivered 121 years late led me to my long-lost family
I n August last year I received a message on A lady called Rhian, who shared my surname, had sent me a link to a recent BBC news story, which I read with mounting interest. The head office of the Swansea Building Society, the story said, had recently received a postcard postmarked 1903 and originally sent to a girl called Lydia Davies, who had lived at the address. Having mysteriously received the postcard 121 years after it was posted, staff were hoping to trace one of her descendants. The picture on the card was of a black-and-white print based on an Edwin Landseer oil painting of a stag in the Scottish Highlands. But the other side interested me more. It said: 'Dear L, It was unpossible, I could not get the pair of these. I am so sorry! But I hope you are enjoying yourself at home.' The message was signed 'Ewart'. The news story added that the postcard had been passed on to the West Glamorgan Archive Service, which had established Lydia was 16, the eldest of six children living at the address in 1903. Ewart, her brother, was 13. I had worked on my family tree and knew immediately that Ewart was my grandfather. Though he had died before I was born, I still had one link with him: his last living child, my aunt Rosemary. I called her – she lives in San Francisco – and she was very excited to hear the news. I then phoned the building society and was put in touch with a BBC producer who wanted to film the postcard being presented to a descendant. The producer said two women related to Lydia had already been in contact – he told me their names, but I'd never heard of them. The meeting was to be filmed at the archive offices in Swansea, and I drove there with my wife from our home in Sussex the next day. I'd never been on TV before and was very nervous. It was all a whirlwind. I was filmed talking to Andrew, the chief archivist, who had photographs of Lydia and Ewart laid out on a table. He showed me the postcard itself, with its King Edward VII stamp. It was strange to hold something my grandfather had bought as a boy, and fascinating to see the words on the back, written with a fountain pen. As we were looking at it, two women walked in, and Andrew said: 'I think we have a pair of your relatives here … ' So that's how I first met my cousins Margaret and Helen. It felt quite surreal as we shook hands and introduced ourselves, knowing this moment was going to be seen by so many people. I'd wondered if they'd seem somehow familiar, but it struck me that I might easily have passed them in the street without ever realising we were related. Ewart and Lydia's brother Stanley had been the only sibling to remain in Wales – Margaret and Helen were Stanley's granddaughters and still lived nearby. Lydia's great-granddaughter Faith also travelled from Devon to meet us for the first time. They brought along photos – we went through them, adding missing pieces to our family jigsaws. It was oddly moving seeing pictures of my great-grandparents for the first time. New connections were made, and anonymous names in my family tree suddenly gained faces. Sign up to Inside Saturday The only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine. Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns, delivered to your inbox every weekend. after newsletter promotion Afterwards, I contacted Rhian, who was delighted that her detective work had paid off. She had seen the news story and thought she might be a descendant. She wasn't, but had forwarded the story on to other Davies families on in the hope that one of them might be. Davies is the fifth most common surname in the UK, with a huge concentration in Wales, so it's a wonder she found me. The mystery of how the postcard arrived at its destination 121 years late may never be fully solved. It's likely that Lydia did receive it in 1903 – we now know she collected postcards, and Ewart probably sent her one of a pair. It must have passed through the hands of other collectors before someone stuck it back in the post for fun. Little did they know their action would lead to branches of a family being united for the first time. We've since heard from a distant relative in Canada – perhaps there will be more. I'd like to imagine Ewart and Lydia would have been astonished but delighted. As told to Chris Broughton Do you have an experience to share? Email experience@
The Guardian
11-07-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Experience: a postcard delivered 121 years late led me to my long-lost family
I n August last year I received a message on A lady called Rhian, who shared my surname, had sent me a link to a recent BBC news story, which I read with mounting interest. The head office of the Swansea Building Society, the story said, had recently received a postcard postmarked 1903 and originally sent to a girl called Lydia Davies, who had lived at the address. Having mysteriously received the postcard 121 years after it was posted, staff were hoping to trace one of her descendants. The picture on the card was of a black-and-white print based on an Edwin Landseer oil painting of a stag in the Scottish Highlands. But the other side interested me more. It said: 'Dear L, It was unpossible, I could not get the pair of these. I am so sorry! But I hope you are enjoying yourself at home.' The message was signed 'Ewart'. The news story added that the postcard had been passed on to the West Glamorgan Archive Service, which had established Lydia was 16, the eldest of six children living at the address in 1903. Ewart, her brother, was 13. I had worked on my family tree and knew immediately that Ewart was my grandfather. Though he had died before I was born, I still had one link with him: his last living child, my aunt Rosemary. I called her – she lives in San Francisco – and she was very excited to hear the news. I then phoned the building society and was put in touch with a BBC producer who wanted to film the postcard being presented to a descendant. The producer said two women related to Lydia had already been in contact – he told me their names, but I'd never heard of them. The meeting was to be filmed at the archive offices in Swansea, and I drove there with my wife from our home in Sussex the next day. I'd never been on TV before and was very nervous. It was all a whirlwind. I was filmed talking to Andrew, the chief archivist, who had photographs of Lydia and Ewart laid out on a table. He showed me the postcard itself, with its King Edward VII stamp. It was strange to hold something my grandfather had bought as a boy, and fascinating to see the words on the back, written with a fountain pen. As we were looking at it, two women walked in, and Andrew said: 'I think we have a pair of your relatives here … ' So that's how I first met my cousins Margaret and Helen. It felt quite surreal as we shook hands and introduced ourselves, knowing this moment was going to be seen by so many people. I'd wondered if they'd seem somehow familiar, but it struck me that I might easily have passed them in the street without ever realising we were related. Ewart and Lydia's brother Stanley had been the only sibling to remain in Wales – Margaret and Helen were Stanley's granddaughters and still lived nearby. Lydia's great-granddaughter Faith also travelled from Devon to meet us for the first time. They brought along photos – we went through them, adding missing pieces to our family jigsaws. It was oddly moving seeing pictures of my great-grandparents for the first time. New connections were made, and anonymous names in my family tree suddenly gained faces. Sign up to Inside Saturday The only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine. Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns, delivered to your inbox every weekend. after newsletter promotion Afterwards, I contacted Rhian, who was delighted that her detective work had paid off. She had seen the news story and thought she might be a descendant. She wasn't, but had forwarded the story on to other Davies families on in the hope that one of them might be. Davies is the fifth most common surname in the UK, with a huge concentration in Wales, so it's a wonder she found me. The mystery of how the postcard arrived at its destination 121 years late may never be fully solved. It's likely that Lydia did receive it in 1903 – we now know she collected postcards, and Ewart probably sent her one of a pair. It must have passed through the hands of other collectors before someone stuck it back in the post for fun. Little did they know their action would lead to branches of a family being united for the first time. We've since heard from a distant relative in Canada – perhaps there will be more. I'd like to imagine Ewart and Lydia would have been astonished but delighted. As told to Chris Broughton Do you have an experience to share? Email experience@
Daily Mail
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Pope Leo XIV's star-studded family tree connects him to Madonna, two pop icons and an Oscar winner
Pope Leo XIV has a surprising connection to a number of Hollywood's most beloved stars, including none other than Madonna. Although the Queen of Pop, 66, has notoriously clashed with the Catholic Church since the release of her controversial Like a Prayer music video, it was recently revealed she is related to the new pope, 69. Henry Louis Gates Jr., who hosts PBS' show Finding Your Roots, shared the shocking revelation that the pair are 'ninth cousins, various times removed' during an interview with the New York Times. After tracing the first American pope's lineage, Gates discovered Pope Leo XIV (born Robert Francis Prevost) and Madonna were related through a distant maternal relative born in the 1590s. Gates added that through their Canadian ancestor, Louis Boucher de Grandpre, who was born in Trois-Rivières, Quebec, the pope is related to numerous Canadian-derived distant cousins.' This includes Angelina Jolie, Hillary Clinton, Justin Bieber, Pierre and Justin Trudeau and Jack Kerouac. Madonna was quick to share the exciting news on her Instagram Story as she shared a photo of them side by side, alongside a caption declaring him her 'distant relative.' The singer, who was born and raised Catholic, has clashed with the Catholic Church for more than three decades. Back in 1989, she was condemned by the Vatican State and multiple Popes of the Catholic Church. She faced controversy in 1989 for her Like a Prayer music video, which featured burning crosses and an erotic depiction of Jesus. At the time, Pope John Paul II encouraged fans to boycott Madonna in Italy and not attend her Blond Ambition tour in 1990. Then, years later, Madonna came under fire again in 2006 for staging a mock crucifixion during a concert in Rome in 2006. This led Cardinal Ersilio Tonino, with the approval of Pope Benedict XVI, to declare that she 'should be excommunicated,' per The Independent. 'This time the limits have really been pushed too far. This concert is a blasphemous challenge to the faith and a profanation of the cross. She should be excommunicated,' he previously stated as he condemned her racy performances. Additionally, she was also previously criticized by the church for her concert in Italy amid her Who's That Girl Tour in 1987, her advertisement with Pepsi in 1989 and for her first book Sex, which she released in 1992. In December 2024, she incited fierce backlash after sharing AI-generated images of herself with Pope Francis. The fake images showed the Pope seemingly getting handsy with her as he stood with his arm around her waist and his face very close to hers. Two years prior, she tweeted to Pope Francis to ask him to meet to discuss 'some important matters' — specially, her 'blasphemous' behavior. At the time, she tweeted to Pop Francis asking for him to receive her. 'Hellow @Pontifex Francis — I'm a good Catholic. I Swear! I mean I don't Swear! It's been a few decades since my last confession. Would it be possible to meet up one day to discuss some important matters? I've been excommunicated 3 times. It doesn't seem fair. Sincerely Madonna.' Leo XIV was elected as pope on May 8, 2025 following Pope Francis's death on April 21, 2025. On Monday, Al Pacino became the first movie star to meet Pope Leo XIV. During his papacy, Pope Francis met with many celebrities, including Leonardo DiCaprio, George Clooney, Andrea Bocelli, Katy Perry and Martin Scorsese.
The Sun
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
I have 18 siblings & some of them are also my cousins – I always lie on dates because my family tree is so embarrassing
A WOMAN has revealed that she always lies when she goes on dates, as she's so embarrassed by her family tree. Ellie Blythe claims that every time she mean a new potential beau, she tells them she simply has two brothers and a sister. 2 2 However, this is far from the truth. "I've actually got 18," she claimed in a viral TikTok video, posted under the username @ellieblythe. Shocking her viewers even further, she added: "Not only do I have 18, some of them are also my cousins." Ellie said that she does not want to have to explain this on dates, as it is too complicated. The TikToker gave no further information on how this is possible, and didn't give any evidence to back up her claims. However, the post quickly garnered the attention of TikTok users, racking up 200,000 views on the video sharing platform. TikTok users raced to the video's comments section to share their thoughts. A second person said: "have two cousins who are also my stepbrother and stepsister." A third person said: "I would happily go on a date with you just so I could hear this story." Top 5 Controversial Celebrity Family Moments And Ellie isn't the only person to have an unusual family tree. Celina, 37, revealed that she had three kids with her husband, before realising he was her cousin. The secret came out, after her husband Joseph, 44 did a DNA test to find out more about his heritage. "When I realised that we were cousins, I was a little sick to my stomach", Celina told Love Don't Judge. The world's biggest families The Vassilyev family This family currently holds the record for the most children a couple has parented, after the matriarch gave birth to 69 children, including 16 pairs of twins and seven sets of triplets. Mrs. Vassilyev has given birth to a total of 69 children, including 16 pairs of twins and 7 sets of triplets. 67 of the 69 children survived infancy. The Radfords Sue and Noel are parents to 22 children, and their hectic family life is documented in reality show 22 Kids and Counting. The pair have remained adamant that they won't be having any more kids, but the amount of grandchildren they have is ever expanding, with daughters Sophie and Millie both mums of three. The Duggars Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar have 19 children - 10 sons and nine daughters. All of their children's names begin with the letter J. They also had their own reality show in the United States, and became household names because of it. The Bates family Kelly also has 19 children, with her husband Gil Bates. Of 19 deliveries, 14 of them were natural. The couple also have 28 grandchildren, with four more on the way. The Dougherty Dozen Mum Alicia frequently shares videos and pictures of her family. She and husband Josh have four biological children together, as well as adopting or fostering the rest of their brood. The Rosario family Yalancia and husband Michael are parents of 11. They had their first daughter together earlier this year, and are also parents to Jamel, 15, Michael Jr, 11, Angelo, 10, Gimani, seven, Armani, six, Sincere, three and Khaza, two. Their fourth son, also named Armani, was stillborn. Joseph was in complete denial at first, but after looking closely at the data, realised the truth. The DNA test confirmed that the duo are third to fifth cousins, and the revelation left them questioning their relationship. "I thought we were supposed to get divorced, but then I started thinking that for out children we need to stay together", Celina said. Celina described the revelation as a "pivotal moment" as "you're not supposed to be with your cousin, but it happened that way". Joseph added that he meant it in his wedding vows when he said: "Till death to us part", so he decided not to leave his wife due to the discovery.
