Barack Obama has a fascinating and little-known family connection to Hollywood—he’s distantly related to actor Brad Pitt. This quirky fact came to light during Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign, when he appeared on The View. Joy Behar asked him about the rumor, and Obama confirmed with a smile, “I guess we’re ninth cousins, something removed—or something like that.
” He added humorously, “I think he got the better-looking side of the gene pool.” Genealogical research traced both Obama and Pitt back to a common ancestor—Edwin Hickman—who was born in the late 1600s in Virginia. This makes the two men ninth cousins, a distant but very real connection.
Obama isn’t the only politician with surprising celebrity ties. Hillary Clinton is also ninth cousins with actress Angelina Jolie. The two share a common ancestor named Jean Cusson, who lived in Quebec and died in 1718. Jolie, of course, was married to Brad Pitt, adding another twist to these unexpected family links.
Clinton’s French-Canadian roots also connect her to several well-known music stars, including Madonna, Alanis Morissette, and Celine Dion. All of these connections were uncovered by researchers at the New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS).
As genealogist Christopher Child noted, it’s fascinating to see how people from completely different backgrounds—politicians, pop stars, actors—can be linked through shared ancestry. These family ties serve as a reminder of how interconnected people really are, even across centuries and continents.