14 People Who Did a DNA Test and Went From Curiosity to Horror

A simple DNA test can serve as the beginning of numerous dark revelations and uncover deep-seated family secrets. The people in this article took the test out of curiosity in order to explore their ancestry, but they never expected to unearth such astonishing truths about their past.

• Found out my grandma had a baby when my mom was 5, whom she gave up for adoption. She was a single mother living with her parents at the time and was sent away to have the baby, most likely forced to give him up. My mom never knew.
  Everyone is afraid to confront my grandma about this because she is 90 and would probably be so embarrassed and shut everyone out. All the other relatives we could ask about it are dead. He’s a great guy and wants to connect with his birth mother; it’s a tough situation. He’s reached out to her on Facebook but never heard a reply. © h***ohosta / Reddit

• My grandfather was always told that his grandfather died before he was born. DNA test matched me with some distant cousins who all descended from a man with the same date of birth, job, and birthplace but a different surname. After years of digging, it turns out he had 5 wives - divorcing none of them. He had about 3 sons called John from different marriages, a couple of Williams, and a couple of Mary's. © pickindim_kmet / Reddit

• Mom died in 2021, and days later a cousin let me know I had an older sister. Dad was estranged and died in 2023. Long story. Turns out the parents gave up my sister for adoption.
  She was born out of wedlock in the '60s. Verified by my aunt. She looks just like my brother. Her boys look just like me, her twins are like looking at 25-year-old me. © Callahan333 / Reddit

• I discovered I have two copies of the APOE4 gene, which means I have a significantly higher risk of developing Alzheimer's. I wish I didn't know this information because there isn't anything I can do about it, and it just gives me anxiety. © Owl_Mae / Reddit

• I found a half-uncle on 23andMe. When I talked to him, it turns out he was given up for adoption at the same hospital my dad was born at, 3 years later. When I told my dad, it brought up some repressed memories he was told to forget as a kid.
  He had recurring dreams at about 5 years old of his mom being pregnant with him as a toddler in these dreams. I'd love to know more, but nobody in the family is willing to bring it up to my grandparents. © walxne / Reddit

• My parents and I did 23andMe DNA tests, and I manage their profiles—theirs were done before mine was available. They each received 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 into my account, it showed that I had zero DNA matches with my parents, which I knew to be wrong, especially since my mom was a young child when this woman was born. It turns out our results were swapped. We were offered a new test. My family found it funny, but that poor woman spent several days freaking out, thinking her life was a lie before I received her messages and responded. © Lennyotter / Reddit

• I did a 23andMe test to gain more information about who my dad is since my mom knows nothing. Well, it turns out my maternal grandma wasn’t honest about who my mother’s dad was either. My search opened a whole can of worms in the family. © TeaTime_001 / Reddit

• My best friend's 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 pregnant when I was conceived. © Soggy_Buttersco***66 / Reddit

• 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. © Snoringdragon / Reddit

• A cousin of mine found three adult siblings of mine that I never knew about. According to my extended family, they didn’t know about these kids either. I made contact with these siblings, and it was a heartache I would not wish on my worst enemy. Sometimes when someone locks a box of dark secrets, it’s best to leave it be. © ImNewHereAgain0802 / Reddit

• I found out my uncle had a child with my dad’s best friend’s wife. We played together as kids, and then they suddenly moved away. I always wondered why. Now I know. © Forward-Comment-1831 / Reddit

• Turns out, before he died, my mom's brother had a child with the woman who is now my mom's best friend. She never told my mom despite obviously knowing that was my mom's brother and put the kid up for adoption.
  The girl reached out to me, and I brought it up to my mom, who asked her sisters, and it turned into this yearlong family fight. But the truth finally came out, and I feel bad for seemingly starting the drama. © laviebomeme / Reddit

• I found out I had a different biological father when my sister and I took the test. Unfortunately, my results arrived the same day I found out I was pregnant. I didn’t have any leads as to who the biological father was (my mom acted like I was insane).
  So imagine being so happy you’re pregnant, only to suddenly start freaking out because now you don’t know 50% of your medical history (which could have made an impact on your choice to have kids). Telling my doctors at my first few OB appointments that I didn’t know my dad was haunting. © pageantrella / Reddit

• Dad took a 23andMe test and found out his "uncle" on his dad's side was actually his biological father. His mother denied it for YEARS before finally admitting it was true. The sad part is the biological father had died the year before this happened and may have had his suspicions but never knew... Most of the family doesn't speak anymore. © Big-Foundation4821 / Reddit

In every family, there are things kept hidden, but some secrets can turn everything upside down. That's what happened to the people in this article — they discovered hidden truths that completely changed their lives.