Debra Messing and Melanie Lynskey’s Celebrity Family Tree Shocks with Bernie Sanders and Questlove Connections!
On the latest season of PBS’s hit show *Finding Your Roots*, stars Debra Messing and Melanie Lynskey got a thrilling surprise when they discovered novel connections to unexpected relatives: Bernie Sanders and Questlove, respectively. And wait—who doesn’t love a good celebrity revelation?
During the February 25 episode, the sassy duo learned they were genetically linked to some pretty famous faces. Lynskey, known for her role in *Yellowjackets*, giddily found out that she shares a familial bond with none other than Questlove. “Your father and Questlove, as well as Questlove’s mother, share a long identical segment of DNA on your 15th chromosome,” explained the show’s host, Henry Louis Gates Jr. The excitement was palpable as Lynskey exclaimed, “That’s incredible!” Who wouldn’t be thrilled to learn that they’re DNA cousins with a musical legend?
And the shock didn’t stop there. Messing, a formidable talent known for *Will & Grace*, nearly lost her mind learning that she is distantly related to Vermont’s very own Bernie Sanders. Her stunned reaction, “What! Are you kidding me? No way! Oh my gosh… That is mind-blowing,” perfectly encapsulates the kind of jaw-dropping reveals the show is famous for. Just imagine ham sandwiches at the family BBQs with Senator Sanders—talk about a dinner conversation starter!
But let’s not forget that Messing and Lynskey are just two of the many celebs caught up in this “family reunion” of fame. The show has a rich history of connecting stars to out-of-this-world relatives, including Michael Douglas and Scarlett Johansson, and even connecting icons like Meryl Streep and Eva Longoria. As Streep humorously noted at a table reading, her introduction of Longoria as her “cousin” left everyone “so confused.” Given their strikingly different backgrounds, who wouldn’t be perplexed? It just goes to show—family trees can take some wildly tangled turns!
Hats off to *Finding Your Roots* for weaving through the ancestral past of our favorite stars. If you’re curious to see who else might be your long-lost DNA cousin, tune in Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on PBS. Who knows? You might just find your next family member is a Hollywood A-lister!
Sources: Celebrity Storm Wire and People Magazine, PBS, DuJour
