Singer Ciara learned she is related to former New York Yankees captain Derek Jeter.
On Jan. 2, Ciara, 38, appeared on the PBS show “Finding Your Root,” which explores the ancestry of famous people. During the episode shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, the “Level Up” singer learned Jeter, 49, was her biological cousin.
“What the world?! You are kidding me! Derek Jeter!” the Grammy Award winner responded to the news shared by host Henry Louis Gates Jr. during the season 10 premiere.
She added, “That is crazy!”
Gates explained that Ciara and Jeter shared “a long identical stretch of DNA on their 14th chromosome” which he “inherited from his mother.”
In a post on her Instagram page, Ciara expressed her gratitude for the life-changing experience.
View this post on Instagram
“The moment I learned [Derek Jeter] was my cousin! Crazy! Thank you [Dr. Henry Louis Gates] for such an incredible experience!” she wrote, adding, “This was a dream come true to learn about my family genealogy!”
Ciara’s husband, Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson, also shared his thoughts on the surprising revelation on X.
“Always knew it!” he wrote in the caption of the viral clip.
Users on X expressed their shock over the news.
“WOW!! Two people I definitely respect and follow! That’s great,” one user wrote.
Additionally, the user admitted they “wouldn’t mind being related to Derek Jeter or Russell Wilson!!”
Another user inquired, “I wonder if, because of lack of knowledge of your family DNA history if, many celebrities have unknowingly gotten involved and dated their distant cousins or relatives only to find out years later that they’re related. Hmmm.”
