The entertainment industry may seem vast, but it’s a smaller world than most realize. Behind the red carpet moments are family ties established over multiple generations. Some of the closest connections are well known: Solange and Beyoncé, the Wayans brothers, Eddie and Charlie Murphy, Jaden and Willow Smith, and many more. But other celebrity relations are far less obvious, and sometimes that’s by design.
While some famous families wear their connections proudly, others prefer to keep things low-key. (They call them “distant cousins” for a reason.) The upside of that secrecy is that it adds an extra layer of intrigue to stars we thought we already knew so well. Here’s a rundown of some very surprising familial connections in entertainment.
Charlamagne Tha God, Chlöe, and Halle Bailey
The Breakfast Club host is actually Chlöe and Halle Bailey’s cousin. Although it’s a more recent discovery, the “Have Mercy” singer confirmed that they are blood relatives in 2023 during an appearance on The Jason Lee Show.
Takeoff And Quavo
Fans often assumed all three members of Migos were related, but only two out of three had family ties. Takeoff was the nephew of Quavo, despite Quavo being only three years older than him.
Kerry Washington And Colin Powell
This is one of the more unexpected connections on this list where politics and Hollywood intersect. Kerry Washington is reportedly a cousin of the late General Colin Powell, the first Black U.S. Secretary of State. They were related through her mother’s side of the family.
Gabrielle Union And Saweetie
This became public when Union casually dropped it on social media. The actress revealed that she and rapper Saweetie are cousins, explaining that Saweetie’s father and Union are first cousins. The reveal surprised fans who had no idea the two were even acquainted, let alone shared a family tree.
Al Roker And Lenny Kravitz
A weatherman and a rock star don’t seem like an obvious familial pairing, but they do indeed have blood connecting them. Their grandfathers were cousins, they revealed back in 2011 during an episode of Today.
Cardi B And GloRilla
These two rappers both share a sense of humor and care-free spirit. They also share blood. We learned Cardi B and GloRilla were cousins in 2024 when the “Bodak Yellow” rapper revealed it during an interview with Big Boy’s Neighborhood. Cardi talked about how the connection traces back to her grandfather, who had ties to Tennessee, where GloRilla’s family is from. The two rappers have worked together in the past collaborating on “Tomorrow 2,” released in 2022.
Coco Jones and Mike Jones
Not the rapper Mike Jones, but the athlete. Singer and actress Coco Jones is the daughter of the Mike Jones, who played in the NFL for 12 seasons and won a Super Bowl with the St. Louis Rams in 2000.
Brandy, Ray J, and Snoop Dogg
Most people know Brandy and Ray J are siblings, but the family tree extends further than that. The brother-and-sister duo are also related to Snoop Dogg–he happens to be their first cousin.
Ludacris And Monica
These two Atlanta natives have been close since childhood, long before fame. Ludacris and Monica are cousins, both of whom grew up with roots in Atlanta. Other reporting adds more detail to the connection: Monica’s mother married Ludacris’s uncle, which is how the two families became linked.
Yara Shahidi And Nas
Black-ish star Yara Shahidi and hip-hop legend Nas are family. Shahidi’s mother is the first cousin of the rapper. Not every cousin relationship is close, but this one is. The rapper chopped it up with Yara in 2022 when he was a guest on Yara’s Day Off. The actress has also said in the past that realizing he was famous was weird to her when she was growing up.
Janelle Monáe and Marsai Martin
Janelle Monáe discovered that she’s related to fellow actor and producer Marsai Martin in 2019. Want to know how they found out? At a Golden Globes afterparty, of all places.
Viola Davis And Mike Colter
Two renowned actors share a bloodline. Viola Davis and Mike Colter from Luke Cage are cousins, and it’s a connection that surprised plenty of fans. In terms of how they’re related, Colter’s paternal grandmother and Davis’s maternal grandfather were apparently siblings.
Da Brat And LisaRaye McCoy
These two stars are half-sisters through their dad. In typical sibling fashion, the two have had their share of public fights and reconciliation.
Fantasia and K-Ci & JoJo
R&B duo K-Ci & JoJo are brothers, and they’re also Fantasia Barrino’s cousins. The extended family has performed together publicly, including the singer and K-Ci singing together at ESSENCE Festival in 2018.
Bill Bellamy And Shaquille O’Neal
Comedian Bill Bellamy is Shaquille O’Neal’s second cousin. The two grew up together and have been close over the years.
