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.
Barack Obama and Brad Pitt are ninth cousins, and that’s not the only strange link in the celebrity world. (Getty)
During the 2008 US election campaign, it emerged 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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Meryl Streep and Anna Wintour share fifth-great-grandparents, making them sixth cousins. (Getty)
Co-stars Ashley Tisdale and Austin Butler are tenth cousins, and say they had often felt like siblings. (Disney General Entertainment Con)
Genealogy research recently uncovered the Oscar-winning actress and the longtime Vogue editor-in-chief are sixth cousins, sharing the same fifth-great-grandparents.
For longtime friends Ashley Tisdale and Austin Butler, the discovery carried a similar reaction.
The pair, who had worked together on screen, learned they are tenth cousins, prodding Tisdale to say: “No wonder we have such a connection!”
She added the two had often joked they felt like siblings.
While the resemblance may be hard to spot, the Fanning sisters and the Princess of Wales, are in fact related. (Getty)
Actors Elle and Dakota Fanning are also said to have a surprising link to British royalty.
Genealogy research has traced the sisters back to King Edward III, putting them in the same extended family line as Catherine, Princess of Wales.
Elle previously admitted she was sceptical at first, saying she double-checked the claim after relatives pointed it out online.
The Queen of Pop has a checkered past with the Catholic Church. (Getty)
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 criticism 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.
After years of portraying Bernie Sanders on television, Larry David discovered the two were actually related.
The pair learned they share ancestry from the same region in Europe, prompting David to react: “What the hell!” before adding, “Alright, cousin Bernie!”
Larry David played Bernie Sanders on TV before discovering they are distant cousins. (Getty)
’90s stars Britney Spears and Lance Bass are sixth cousins, once removed. (Getty)
Music has produced similar discoveries.
Britney Spears and NSYNC singer Lance Bass were found to be sixth cousins once removed, a link 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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Love Actually castmates Thomas Brodie-Sangster and Hugh Grant are second cousins, once removed. (Getty)
Lily Allen and her brother Alfie share a distant connection with Sam Smith. (Getty)
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.
Elizabeth Taylor is Paris Hilton’s great aunt. (Getty)
Paris Hilton’s Hollywood lineage places her just one generation removed from old Hollywood royalty.
The hotel heiress has a family link to screen legend Elizabeth Taylor, who was married to her grandfather, Conrad Hilton.
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