How much do you know about your family tree? Could you name every branch going back for generations, or do you only know the names of a few leaves hanging close to you? Thankfully, whether your ancestors kept meticulous records or you were adopted and relocated halfway across the world as an infant, DNA technology has become incredibly advanced, and we all have access to our backgrounds through simply submitting a mouthful of saliva.
Unfortunately, however, the results of a DNA test are not always what curious participants had hoped for. After optimistically submitting their samples hoping to find out precisely which Eastern European cuisine they should be preparing on holidays, some people receive their results and are left questioning everything they know about their family members. We’ve gathered some of the most amusing, shocking and upsetting discoveries made from taking DNA tests, that have been shared on the 23andMe subreddit, and listed them below for you to read. I sincerely hope you don’t have any devastating stories of your own from having tests like this done, but if you do, know that you’re not alone.
Keep reading to also find an interview with host of the DNA Surprises Podcast, Alexis Hourselt, and then if you’re interested in reading even more stories about DNA tests revealing scandalous family secrets, we recommend checking out this Bored Panda article next.
#1 A Happy Ending!
Image source: unhappiey
#2 Met My Biological Sister Today! (Both Adopted From China By Different American Families)
Image source: JunipLove
#3 Today Is My Dad’s 60th Birthday. This Saturday, He Met His Biological Mother For The Very First Time
Image source: JarrettLaud
#4 In Case You Didn’t See The News, 9,000 Year Old Cheddar Man Descendant
Image source: moon-worshiper
#5 For Christmas We Gave Uncle And His Wife 23 & Me
Image source: just-a-d-j
#6 A 23andme Fairytale – Found My Real Dad And He’s More Than I Could Ask For In A Father
Image source: ElleCane
#7 23andme Saved Mine And My Dads Life
Image source: DaVille06
#8 My Superior Ooga Booga Genes
Image source: Hallelujahhomie
#9 A Relative Turned Out To Be A Half-Sister And Niece
Image source: bubblebubblegumgum
#10 You Can Call Me Ms. Worldwide
Image source: Whimsical_Entropy
#11 100% Finnish
Image source: rowawawaway
#12 Returned From Vacation With Family And This Was Waiting For Me From My Newly Found Biological Family. It Was My Mother’s Who Passed In The 70s. Her Family Has Been Looking For Me For 50 Years. Met Them All This Past October. Probably One Of The Most Important Christmas Gifts I Will Ever Receive
Image source: tanhauser_gates_
#13 So I Befriended A Distant Cousin From Britain Through 23 And Me! We Both Love Queen And Ended Up Becoming Penpals, Which Was Awesome Because I Was Incredibly Lonely During Quarantine. Today, I Found A Present At My Doorstep!
Image source: SylveonFrusciante
#14 They Found A Grandma They Didn’t Know They Had
Image source: houseofweenies
#15 Mini-Update
Image source: calypso_cane
#16 Just Met My Half Brother! 5 Years Apart, And Grew Up Only A Few Hours Away
Image source: ChowMein2Go
#17 They Discovered Their Father Wasn’t Their Father
Image source: joshishish
#18 I Am The 1%
Image source: n7soapysuds
#19 Their Sister Dated A Secret Brother For Four Years
Image source: cupcakesprinkle1
#20 Houston, We Have A Problem
Image source: cmeremoonpi
#21 Almost Got The Whole Globe
Image source: Dead_Doves
#22 Asian Parents Be Like
Image source: lickmyask
#23 Found Out I Have A Vietnamese 1st Cousin. My Grandpa Went To Vietnam For The War, Came Back, Had 8 Kids (My Dad), Come To Find Out Years Later I Have A Cousin That Moved To The States And I Had The Opportunity To Meet And Share Stories :) Thanks 23andme
Image source: PonyDanger
#24 Family Secrets Exposed For Just One Easy Payment Of $99!
Image source: TheAtomicPlayboy
#25 I Found My Egg Donor After Searching For Years And Met Her Accidentally On 23&me!
Image source: Eggbaby98
#26 Their Long-Lost Aunt Could Have A Health Condition
Image source: [Deleted]
#27 Found Out I Had A Baby Sister!
Image source: skoobsdurden
#28 Just Found Out My Dad Is A R*pist
Image source: 23throwaway232323
#29 I Was Adopted In Mexico And Told All My Life I Was Mexican. All I Know Is I Might Have 8-10 Other Siblings And No Idea About My Birth Parents
Image source: scotty_terpin
#30 After 32 Years, I Finally Have Proof Of Who My Father Is. After 3 Decades Of Hearing My Mother Be Called A Liar, I Have Proof. My Father Was Murdered The Day I Was Born, My Grandparents Accused My Mom Of Lieing In Order To Get Money From Them. My Cousin Helped Me Prove It, And I’m So Grateful
Image source: BlackTo0thGrin
#31 My Parents Are Now Divorcing Because Of My Results :(
Image source: throwmeaway29305
#32 I’m An American With Immigrant Parents From Liberia And Poland. A Near Perfect 50/50 Split
Image source: SnooGiraffes7345
#33 Almost 23 Years Ago A Court-Ordered Paternity Test Said A Child Was Not Mine. Guess What???
Image source: SpiderW3bb
#34 Born In France To An Algerian Father And A Japanese Mother. My Parents Definetly Didnt Lie To Me Lol
Image source: JiAgain
#35 Bio Dad Found. I’m Done. Overjoyed To Finally Be Able To Stop Searching! Thank You 23&me!
Image source: punksrnotded
#36 Found Out My Dad Isn’t My Dad 23 Years Later. Nobody Knew
Image source: MLZ_ent
#37 My Parents Were Mad I Spent $100 On Something They Already Knew. (South Indian Results)
Image source: shaunsajan
#38 I Always Thought I Had Some Asian In Me … Turns Out I’m Just Really Native American
Image source: Cu4utl3
#39 My Palestinian Grandma
Image source: hummusologist
#40 They Found Out Their Boyfriend Was Their Fourth Cousin
Image source: _muff1n_
#41 He Responded This Morning. We Talked For 3½ Hours. He’s Also Adopted But Was Able To Answer Lots Of Biological Questions
Image source: twinklynnyoureye
#42 They Found Out They Were Adopted, 60 Years Later
Image source: astronatical
#43 I’m Korean… Just Korean
Image source: TheLalaHamiltonian
#44 My Results! Oh And I Found My Long Lost Sibling
Image source: xocjen
#45 Dad: You Really Like To Waste Money On Obvious Results Aye? I Could Have Told You For Free
Image source: GrimHappiness
#46 They Found Out About Grandma’s Decades-Old Murder
Image source: aliquotiens
#47 Honestly Can’t Say I Was That Surprised
Image source: reddit.com
#48 Great-Grandma Had A Complicated Love Life
Image source: CreampuffOfLove
#49 Mom May Have Had An Affair
Image source: laika_is_orbital
#50 They Had A Different Background Than They Thought
Image source: FunkyDiscoKat
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