It would appear that everyone is already aware of every facet of a celebrity's existence, which makes it difficult to discover anything new about them. Nonetheless, there are instances in which the celebrities themselves are unaware of the incidents from their pasts that have the potential to produce compelling stories when adapted into novels or films. Your sole task is to conduct research on the history of your family and the oral traditions that have been passed down.
1. Julia Roberts
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It turns out that the actress' purported great-great-grandfather passed away ten years before the birth of her great-grandfather. Hence the latter should not have used that surname. Henry McDonald Mitchell, a neighbor of the Robertses, was the kid's real father. Mitchell was already married with six children when he married Rhoda Suttle Roberts, the star's great-great-grandmother. Even after hearing the shocking revelation, Julia preferred to be named Roberts rather than Mitchell.
2. Edward Norton
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The actor's family history supposedly included Native Americans. It has been determined via recent investigations that this individual was the well-known Pocahontas. In 1614, John Rolfe wed the daughter of a Powhatan chief, and the two had a son they named Thomas. Norton is related to the sole child of Pocahontas and John. As it turns out, Edward's 12th great-grandmother is Pocahontas herself.
3. Hilary Swank
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In the 2014 film The Homesman, the leading lady plays a Nebraskan farmer compelled to undertake the difficult trek over the prairies to Iowa. Hilary's father revealed a family tragedy evocative of the film's plot a few years later. Like many Nebraskans, their forefathers were farmers. One of Swank's ancestors was murdered in a conflict with invaders, but his corpse stayed still because he was supporting himself against a rock. Afraid, the attackers concluded it was not a human being but an evil ghost, and they ran away.
4. Tom Hanks
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Before filming A Lovely Day in the Neighborhood, the actor had no idea that he was related to Fred Rogers, the beloved children's TV host who was the film's inspiration. According to the genealogical website Ancestry, the host and the actor both trace their ancestry back to Johannes Mefford. The guy came to the US from Germany in the 18th century.
5. Sarah Jessica Parke
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The actors just recently learned that ladies in their family tree had been accused of witchcraft in the 17th century. Fortunately for Parker's 10th great-grandmother, her case was dismissed before the decision was rendered, and she lived to the ripe old age of 82. The progenitor of the Danes, Margaret Scott, had a terrible life. She was one of the final victims of the Salem Witch Trials and was found guilty of practicing witchcraft.
6. Kevin Bacon
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Bacon and his wife Kyra Sedgwick wanted to investigate their family tree, but they weren't expecting to learn anything unexpected. It was discovered that Bacon's family comes from Bristol, UK, and can trace their lineage back to King Edward I of England. In addition, Bacon and Sedgwick's families were surprised to learn that they are ninth cousins.
7. Amy Schumer
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The actress's ancestors settled in Massachusetts in the eighteenth century. Here is where tragedy struck the family of her eighth-great-grandfather. The Mohawk tribe of Native Indians abducted his sister and two brothers. Sarah was the oldest at 14, while John and Zachariah were the youngest at 12 and 7. John and Zachariah stayed with the tribe while Sarah was ransomed and taken to a convent in Montreal.
8. Neil Patrick Harris
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The actor's father's side of the family tree has English ancestry. John Ferrar, a distant relative, sailed to Virginia in 1618 on the Neptune. Future colonists had many challenges on their maritime journey, but they successfully established a community two years before the arrival of the renowned ship Mayflower.