Family empires are rampant throughout Hollywood. The entertainment industry is full of related folks — from the Jackson family to the Wayans brothers. But some family ties have been able to go undetected. Some celebrities recently found out they are related — we’re looking at you, Ciara, and Derek Jeter. That said, it’s time to explore our favorite celebrity family connections. Here are five Black celebrities who are related!
1. LisaRaye & Da Brat
Da Brat and LisaRaye McCoy are half-siblings through their father. The two have been seen together frequently and have reported having a good sibling relationship.
2. Gabrielle Union & Saweetie
Gabrielle Union shocked fans when she revealed that she and Saweetie are cousins. In a 2018 post to Instagram, she casually dropped the information. Union later tweeted that she and Saweetie’s father are first cousins.
3. Yara Shahidi & Nas
According to People, Yara Shahidi and Nas are related. The media outlet reported that Nas is the cousin of Keri, Yara’s mother. Yara and her family remain close to the rapper as Nas appeared on Yara’s show, “Yara’s Day Off.”
4. Ciara & Derek Jeter
Recently, Ciara discovered that she has more than one athlete in her family. After appearing on “Find Your Roots” with Dr. Henry Gates, Ciara learned that she is related to Derek Jeter. Per the DNA test, Ciara and Jeter share an identical DNA strand on their 14th chromosome. This makes the singer and baseball legend distant cousins through Jeter’s mother.
5. Al Roker & Lenny Kravitz
Al Roker and Lenny Kravitz are related. The two revealed their family ties in 2011, and according to Yahoo!, the second cousins are related through their grandfathers.
The phrase, “It’s a small world,” rings true, especially in Hollywood. These celebrities took “play” cousins to a new level and stunned the world with their ancestry ties.
Which bombshell familial connection surprised you the most? Let us know in the comments below.
Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest to keep up with your favorite Black celebrities!