Barack Obama is a Distant Relative of Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and Hillary Clinton Are Related As Well

In a fascinating twist of genealogical connections, Hollywood A-lister Brad Pitt has been revealed to share a distant familial tie with former President Barack Obama, according to a 2008 report from the New England Historic Genealogical Society. As per a 2008 report by Reuters, this was the unexpected twist to their connection: Pitt and former President Obama have been identified as ninth cousins, sharing a familial lineage that traces back to a common ancestor named Edwin Hickman.

The interconnected web of celebrity ancestry doesn't stop there. Reports have also circulated suggesting that Pitt's ex-wife, Angelina Jolie, shares a distant relationship with another prominent political figure—Hillary Rodham Clinton. Researchers from the New England Historic Genealogical Society found that Clinton and Jolie are ninth cousins, twice removed, both connected to Jean Cusson, who passed away in St. Sulpice, Quebec, in 1718. 

"Obama's maternal ancestry includes the mid-Atlantic States and the South," said Christopher Child, a genealogist with NEHGC. "It is common to find people of French Canadian descent to be related to large numbers of other French Canadians, including these notables," said Child in a statement. "But at a time when the race focuses on pointing out differences, the candidates may enjoy learning about famous cousins and their varied family histories," he added.

Over the past three years, genealogical experts, including senior research scholar Gary Boyd Roberts, co-author of the 1989 book Ancestors of American Presidents, have meticulously traced the ancestry of the candidates. According to reports from NBC News, Clinton's family tree extends to distant relatives such as On the Road author Jack Kerouac and Camilla Parker-Bowles, the current Queen consort of England. However, late senator John McCain's ancestral journey proved more challenging to find out due to less comprehensive records on his relatives compared to Obama and Clinton, according to genealogist Child.

In a surprising revelation, Obama and former President George W. Bush are discovered to be 10th cousins, once removed, sharing a connection through Samuel Hinkley of Cape Cod, who passed away in 1662. Either way, the amazing findings of this report was something that had fans of the actors as well as the politcians shocked when it first came out.

But a lot has changed since then, particularly between the former Hollywood power couple. Jolie filed for a divorce back in 2016, and the two were ruled to be 'legally single' in 2019, reported People. Speaking about the split, Jolie stated, "I'm not the kind of person who makes decisions like the decisions I had to make lightly. It took a lot for me to be in a position where I felt I had to separate from the father of my children." It's also worth noting that both the exes are now embroiled in bitter legal battles, especially since Pitt sued the Maleficent star for selling her shares of a wineyard they owned together.