Barack Obama had surprising response when asked about famous relative that most people had no idea about
Barack Obama once revealed a surprising family connection that left many people amazed — he’s distantly related to Hollywood star Brad Pitt.
The former president spoke about it during an appearance on The View back in 2008, during his campaign for the presidency. When co-host Joy Behar brought up the subject, Obama responded with a smile, saying, “I guess we’re ninth cousins, something removed — or something.” He then joked, “I think he got the better-looking side of the gene pool.”
Though it may sound far-fetched, the connection is real. Genealogists traced both Obama and Pitt back to a shared ancestor named Edwin Hickman, who died in Virginia in 1769. That makes them ninth cousins.
Christopher Child, a genealogy expert from the New England Historic Genealogical Society, explained that people with roots in the same region — in this case, the American South — often discover surprising family links, even between seemingly unrelated public figures.
And Obama’s not the only former politician with unexpected Hollywood ties. Hillary Clinton is also ninth cousins with Angelina Jolie, who was married to Brad Pitt for over a decade. Clinton’s family tree links her to Jean Cusson, who died in Quebec in the early 1700s. On top of that, Clinton is also distantly related to Madonna, Celine Dion, and Alanis Morissette.
All of this just goes to show how connected people can be, even across completely different walks of life. The world really is smaller than it seems.
