VlogB

Julia Roberts is one of the most recognizable names in Hollywood, but it turns out there’s a bit more story to it than we initially thought. The famous actress recently made an appearance on Finding Your Roots, a show that dives deep into people’s family history and often finds surprises along the way. And believe us when we say that Julia was not prepared for the revelation that was coming her way.

The host, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., started out by introducing Julia to her great-grandfather John Pendleton Roberts, supposedly born in 1878 to Willis R. Roberts and Rhoda Suttle, as the family believed for years. However, the ancestry tree revealed that Willis R. Roberts passed away in 1864, over a decade before Julia’s great-grandfather was born.

“But — wait — but am I not a Roberts?” the Oscar-winning actress uttered as she realized that Willis R. Roberts couldn’t have possibly been her great-great-grandfather. The host proceeded to explain that they continued looking through the records to find the mysterious man that was Julia’s real great-great-grandfather. Unfortunately, records showed no father for her great-grandfather, so they had to turn to DNA.

Upon further digging, the search led to a man called Henry McDonald Mitchell Jr. “So we’re Mitchells?” confused Julia heard the real name of her biological great-great-grandfather for the first time in her life.

The host confirmed: “You’re Julia Mitchell. You are not a Roberts, biologically.” The actress was at a loss for words, all she could utter at that moment was: “Wow.”

After Julia allowed the information to settle, she shared her thoughts on the findings: “On the one hand, I — truly — my mind is blown. And it is fascinating. And on the other hand, there’s part of me that, when I’m calmer, can still wrap my arms around the idea that my family is my family. And I do prefer the name Roberts!”

And that settled it, Julia will of course keep her famous last name, but we’re convinced the Roberts will have a lot to talk about during the next family dinner.

Have you ever taken a DNA test or researched your ancestry? Did you find any skeletons in your ancestors’ closets?

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