Relative stunned by aunt’s reply after stranger contacts them with DNA find

A family member is taken aback, not only by a stranger claiming a close DNA match, but also by their own aunt’s reaction to the apparently long-lost relative.

Original poster (OP) ornerydad75 took to Reddit’s AncestryDNA’s discussion forum this week.

Unusual Connection

The OP shared an unexpected discovery after being contacted by a woman whose DNA match suggested that they were either first cousins or nephew and aunt—an unusual connection given their 20-year age gap.

When the OP checked the woman’s family tree, there were no immediate links to their own. However, after exchanging messages, they learned that the woman’s parents had known their grandparents well when she was a child.

The OP recalled hearing that their grandfather had an affair years ago, though few details had ever been confirmed. To verify the connection, they called their aunt, the youngest sibling of their deceased father.

When they mentioned the woman’s mother’s name, the aunt instantly recognized it.

‘Oh yeah’

“Oh yeah, daddy had an affair with her. Momma confronted her, and that ended it,” the aunt said.

She also remembered the woman from childhood and noted that their grandfather had always been affectionate toward her.

Once the DNA results made the relationship undeniable, the OP informed their aunt that she had a half-sister.

The aunt immediately reached out to the newly discovered sibling, and the two began chatting. The user and their new aunt also started messaging each other.

Unexpected DNA matches have become common with the growth of consumer genetic testing. Many people discover relatives they had no idea existed.

According to Ancestry’s support page, these connections often stem from adoption, unknown paternity, or long-held family secrets.

A similar situation was reported by Newsweek, in which a man took an AncestryDNA test only to learn that the father who raised him was not his biological parent. Instead, his DNA linked him to an entirely different family, which reshaped his understanding of his past.

The Reddit post attracted plenty of responses from users who had their own thoughts on the discovery. One user praised the approach taken after learning about the unexpected connection.

“I’m so glad you took the high road and reached out. I imagine it will mean the world to your ‘new’ aunt.”

Another reflected on how these discoveries can bring people together in surprising ways.

“It’s so sweet when people are able to form positive relationships unexpectedly.”

‘Resemblance was undeniable’

The OP replied in the thread that the revelation about the new relative was not without precedent. As an 18-year-old, they found out they had an elder half-sister from their father.

“Her paternity was always in question, and she was raised by her mom far away from us,” the OP added.

“Basically, my family has already had this happen before years ago. DNA tests were never done, but the family resemblance was undeniable.”

Newsweek has contacted ornerydad75 comment via Reddit.

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