Married Couple Takes DNA Test, Discovers They’re First Cousins, Confront Family Who Kept It A Secret – Bored Panda

Getting a DNA test is exciting, to say the least. But its an excitement that can be interpreted in several ways.

For instance, do you want to learn about your heritage and where you come from? Nice, go get it. Do you, however, accept that there is a non-zero chance that you will also learn something you wish you have never learned at all? You know, a dark family secret like your dad isnt really your dad, or that you were adopted, or the fact that you have married your first cousin?

Speaking of which, a Redditor recently shared a story of how he ended up figuring the latter out by simply gifting his wife a DNA test kit.

More info: Reddit

Image credits: Vivian Evans (not the actual photo)

Reddit user u/PM_MeMyPassword recently went to the TIFU, or Today I Effed Up, subreddit with quite a unique story.

So, both OP and his wife grew up in a small town in the South. Both of their families have been living there for quite some time now. Both of these lovely individuals also had previous marriages and 3 kids each from those marriages, and there are no plans for any more now that they are together.

Last year OP got his wife an Ancestry DNA kit as a gift. Apparently, she wanted to know more about her European roots, and her sister decided to do the same.

Image credits: u/PM_MeMyPassword

As you might have guessed by this point, the results came in and the test began making connections they didnt quite expect. Apparently, OPs wife was genetically related to his mother, oldest son, his uncle this is where most people in this situation would get a sense of impending doom.

So, they asked the wifes mother about the relations here, and she started crying and explains that when she was younger, she once overheard someone claim that her father is not who she always thought her dad was. She simply put it out of her mind, convinced herself it was a mere rumor. Turns out, not quite.

Image credits: u/PM_MeMyPassword

OP calls his mom, asks if she ever heard such a rumor, and mom goes quiet. After a brief moment, she confirms that she has heard rumors, and her mother actually thought it was true. His grandpa was known to be a womanizer back then.

So, they follow up the information on 23&Me, a genomics and biotechnology company who do DNA tests, and again they get confirmation that the wife shares a great grandparent with his oldest son.

More of us are now getting tests on the same platform but it appears a WW2-era secret has come to light, concluded OP with a joke.

Image credits: u/PM_MeMyPassword

He also gave some updates to the post, like pointing out that his wife was laughing at first, but the reality of it all caught up to her, and that neither he, nor his wife are thinking of changing anythingthey are in love and they want to stay that way.

In under a day, the post got 38,000 upvotes and over 30 Reddit awards, including the subreddits exclusive TIFU award, and generated over 2,700 comments.

Image credits: u/PM_MeMyPassword

In the comments, people shared their own Surprise! Were related! stories, while others explained that they dont see anything wrong hereits not like they couldve known. Besides that, one Redditor estimated that if they are first half-cousins, they share around 6 percent of DNA, which is not all that significant if they end up wanting to have kids. If anything, who cares, its their decision.

Yet others pointed out that this isnt all that uncommon, with one person saying that this happens around the world, not just in the South. In other countries, marrying cousins and other relatives was and still is culturally and religiously justified.

Image credits: u/PM_MeMyPassword

Whatever the case, you can check it all out in the original post here, and wed also love to hear what you think on the topic in the comment section below.

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Married Couple Takes DNA Test, Discovers They're First Cousins, Confront Family Who Kept It A Secret - Bored Panda