Ciara discovered she’s DNA cousins with former pro baseball shortstop and legend Derek Jeter on her episode of PBS’ Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates Jr.
In Season 10, Episode 1, aired Jan. 2, the “1, 2 Step” queen uncovered bombshell secrets about her ancestry (along with Jagged Little Pill singer Alanis Morrisette). In his narration, Henry explained that researchers had compared her DNA strand to previous show guests. They stumbled upon a shocking revelation — Ciara and the former New York Yankees captain were DNA cousins. Jeter is mixed with a white mother named Dorothy Jeter and a Black father named Sanderson Charles Jeter.
“What the world?!” Ciara exclaimed. “You are kidding me. That’s crazy!”
Henry expounded on how Ciara and Derek shared a “long identical stretch of DNA on their 14th chromosome” that the MLB legend inherited from his mother.
Ciara’s husband, Russell Wilson, shared Henry’s clip of the discovery, joking, “Always knew it!”
Ciara took to her X page to share the video, thanking Henry for the experience.
“Thank you, @HenryLouisGates, for such an incredible experience! This was a dream come true to learn about my family genealogy!”
Internet users went up about the latest discovery.
One user posted a GIF of Tupac from the iconic “cousin” cookout scene in Poetic Justice, writing, “[Ciara] at the Yankees game next season.”
Ironically, when Wilson wasn’t playing college football, he was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in 2010 and played in the minor basketball league. Two years later, the Seattle Seahawks drafted the two-sports star.
Over a year after the Seahawks drafted him, the Texas Rangers acquired the footballer in the MLB Rule 5 Draft. The quarterback remained in the Ranger’s farm system until 2018, when the Yankees acquired him.
So, he and Jeter were Yankees!
While guest-starring on the show, the 38-year-old entertainer uncovered her maternal great-grandfather Willie Bub Head’s biological father (presumed to be Nathan Head) wasn’t the man on his birth certificate.
The singer had no DNA connection to Nathan. Researchers dug further and learned Ciara’s great-great-grandfather was a white man named Walker Lafayette Head. Although they had similar surnames, they weren’t related.
Nathan grew up on Walker’s father’s property, and the two grew up together. By 1900, Nathan and his wife Emily moved to Monroe County, Ga., while Walker lived in Butts County, Ga. Willie was conceived in 1904. That same year, Nathan was working on rented land in Butts County that was near Walker’s place.
The nature of Emily’s relationship with Walker is unclear, but the two were having sexual relations and created Nathan. Yikes!
Watch the full episode here! Available until Jan. 30.
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