Article created by: Justinas Keturka
Ancestry tests tend to reveal some rather surprising information, which is arguably one of the main reasons quite a few people take—or show interest in—them. According to YouGov, roughly two-in-ten Americans have taken a mail-in DNA test; out of those who haven’t, nearly half say they’d like to if it was free of charge.
Data suggests that the main reasons for taking such a test are wanting to learn about where their family comes from, seeking information about their health or family medical history, and making connections with previously unknown relatives.
My grandfather did not die when my dad was 4 like we always thought. Instead, he faked his death, walked 1500km to the other end of the country, married a sixteen old girl and had 7 more children.
All the while leaving my grandmother to bring up the 6 children he had with her and his 2 children from an earlier marriage. Worst part was that he used the same names for the second batch of kids as his first lot.
Well, it's not *my* horror story. But ... police arrested the guy who murdered my mother--decades ago--because someone in the killer's family used one of those tests.
The submitted DNA allowed them to get a match on a grandparent... and a couple of years later, when they subpoena'd his DNA to corroborate their other police-work, he confessed.
It took 40 years, but I imagine this is a hell of a horror story for him. He wasn't ever a suspect before the DNA match.
My parents and I all did dna tests and I manage their profiles- theirs were done before mine was available. They each got a panicked message from a woman on the other side of the world who had matched as their daughter. She was distraught, thinking her parents had lied to her for her entire life.
When I logged in to my account, it showed that I had no dna matches with my parents which I knew to be wrong, plus the fact my mum was a young child when this woman was born made it clear the company had swapped our results. Customer service just said ‘oh well’ and offered a new test. My family found it funny but that poor woman who had spent several days freaking out thinking her life was a lie before I got her messages and responded.
About three years ago, I took a 23andMe test because I always had suspected (or maybe hoped) that my sister’s dad was also my dad—he was in my life from the beginning because my “bio” dad was a piece of work.
Well he isn’t my father, and neither is the man who I grew up believing was my dad. My sister in law did some digging and found my real biological father. He’s the one who reached out; did a dna test, wanted to meet me and my children and introduce me to my siblings.
For a while I held off because it was such a shock and I felt like it was moving really quickly. 4 months after we had first started talking, we met and I was welcome with open arms by EVERYONE. And even though it was still a little weird and I was super nervous, I am glad I took the chance to meet him.
He died from covid complications just 8 months after we found out he was my real dad.
My cousin trying to scam the government claiming minuscule percentage Native American submitted a sample. What did happen was four children he fathered with four women other than current wives found him.
My father is from a country that is literally split in half. Half the country is ethnically Greek and the other half is ethnically Turkish. There is a long history of bad blood and our capital is split down the middle. We are culturally Greek but thanks to my brother's impulse-decision DNA test, we learned that we are ethnically more Turkish. Not really a horror story, but goes to show how stupid war is.
The wife and I both got tested. She had an incredible background. North American First Nations. South American. Portugal and all over Europe. It was so cool!
When I got mine back it said.
You’re Scottish mate.
EDIT: in no way did I mean to imply I was unhappy with my results. I just found it hilarious if you compared the findings.
I did ancestry dna a few years ago. Found out my father sexually assaulted over 50 women.
I actually found out I have the cancer gene from one of these tests (BRCA1) and my whole family was tested as well - my sister, brother and dad all have it too. We now get preventative cancer testing but who knows it could have very well saved one of our lives down the road - not really horror story overall, but when I first found out it was extremely scary as I was just expecting to get some entertaining report back and instead found out I had a serious health condition
My kid took the test, and 8 years later, introduced me to a half-sister I never knew I had. My father had remarried and had a son I knew about, but this younger sister took us both by surprise. And the father in all this has passed on, so... I got a sister now!
Found out my Dad isn’t my biological father. My Dad’s sister gave me a DNA test for the holidays. I ended up taking it and discovered I wasn’t related to my aunt, aka not related to my Dad. But I have 10+ half-siblings with whoever my sperm donor dad is. They gaslit me for months saying the results were inaccurate, called me a liar to my sister, all this garbage. Then finally admitted it was true after 6+ months of lying. We now have a terrible relationship.
one of my best friends called me one day in a panic. she did one with her father for fun. he is not her father. turns out mummy has many skeletons in the closet. bio dad never knew she existed and was SO happy to find her. we now doubt her sister’s father is her father. just a gigantic domino effect of not good.
Not a horror story, but certainly unexpected…
My sister did 23andme and matched with a niece. Apparently my brother 40m, unbeknownst to him, has a daughter. From her age we can tell she must’ve been born when my brother was in was in high school. The bio mom must’ve given her up for adoption without telling my brother. No bad feelings, they would’ve been so young (like 15 years old), so it was for the best.
not me but my coworker found out his bio dad was not who he thought he was. turns out he is one of the many many children of fertility doctor Donald Cline (there’s a Netflix doc about him if you’ve never heard about him)
One of my great-uncles got contacted by a woman who said he was her father, after she took a test through one of those sites. He denied it vehemently, and it caused some strife in the family until it was revealed that it was actually his older brother who was the father. Turns out he was kind of a cad in his youth, and never found out until now.
My best friends Father is my Father. We were 40 when we found out. We were born seven months apart meaning her Mother (my Mom’s best friend) was very very pregnant when I was conceived.
My sister found out that half our mom's side of the family, are products of incest. Up and until, a few great aunts and uncles.
Found out that I’m married to my cousin.
My mother was one of seven children of an abusive mother and beloved father. Twenty grandchildren (my cousins, my brother and me). Through testing some cousins have determined that at least three of the seven children were not the biological offspring of my grandmother’s husband. We aren’t telling all the other cousins until the last uncle dies (he’s 93).
We alway knew my grandma had my dad before she got married but through ancestry we found out she actually had another baby, after my dad but before she got married (different dads)
I thought I was all French...Turns out I'm very....ENGLISH!!!!
Finding out they were hacked revealing ancestry, DNA data, birth dates, locations and profile pictures.
