In an unexpected revelation, actress Halle Berry has revealed that she is a related to former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.
Speaking in an interview with Extra’s Jerry Penacoli, Berry, who is of mixed-race heritage, said, “You wanna know who I’m related to? Sarah Palin! That’s what I said, ‘Nooo!'”
“In some twisted way — somebody sent me this information that she was my distant [relative],” she added.
The Oscar-winning actress was promoting her forthcoming movie Cloud Atlas alongside her co-star, Tom Hanks. The film focuses on the theme that we are all interconnected irregardless of background or era.
In response to Berry’s comment, Hanks joked, “This is the Cloud Atlas continuum without a doubt I’m telling you the connections that go through! It doesn’t matter who, what race, where, what time.”
Hanks is also said to be related to one of America’s most revered presidents, Abraham Lincoln.
Berry’s disclosure comes amid growing popularity for public figures to explore their family history on TV shows like NBC’s Who Do You Think You Are? or the PBS series Finding Your Roots.
This is just the latest example of research revealing an unexpected connection between famous figures. For instance, back in 2007 it was discovered that President Barack Obama and former vice president Dick Cheney are eighth cousins. Obama is also a distant relative of ex-president George W. Bush, Warren Buffett, and Sarah Palin too.
And it’s not just celebrities that are interested in tracing their roots. The popular genealogy website Ancestry.com has more than two million paid subscribers.
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