Brad Pitt's Little-Known Family Relation To The Obama Family Explained
Plenty of people would love to say they are related to the Obama family, but only a handful can. And as surprising as it may seem, Brad Pitt is one of them.
Never would you think that Pitt has any relation to the Obama's — come on, that's too powerful of a combo. But it's the truth, and it turns out the Obamas have several famous connections. Former President Barack Obama's family tree includes relations to, ironically, those who oppose his political beliefs, according to The Guardian. From Dick Cheney to both George W. Bush and George H.W. Bush, Obama's family tree is impressive. Obama once poked fun at the revelation that he was related to Cheney, a longtime Republican and former vice president during a 2007 speech according to The Hill. The president joked, "We've been trying to hide that for a long time. You know, everybody's got a black sheep in the family. They do." The Obamas have a lot of famous political figures in their family tree, but where does a movie star like Pitt come into play?
The "Fight Club" actor grew up in Missouri — a long way from Hawaii and Illinois, where Barack and Michelle Obama grew up. How could it be possible that he's related to them in any way? Well, you'd be surprised what decades of family history can reveal and how they can bring new family members to light.
Brad Pitt is Barack Obama's ninth cousin
Brad Pitt and Barack Obama may not spend the holidays together or have family BBQs, but that doesn't mean they aren't related. A deep dive into Obama's family tree revealed that Pitt is the former president's ninth cousin, per The Guardian. Their connection falls on a man named Edwin Hickman, a Virginian who died in 1769. Obama's mother, Ann Dunham Sutoro, has a relation to Hickman's son James, thus tying Obama to the Hickman's. As for how Pitt is related, the "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" actor has a connection to Hickman's other son and James' brother, Edwin Jr.
Hickman didn't live a luxurious life like his descendants to come. However, he did hold a position as a sheriff in the "Spotsylvania region of Virginia." He apparently owned a little bit of land, but never could he have expected what his family line would achieve centuries later.
As for whether Pitt and Obama are aware of their family connection, the former president is. When appearing on "The View" in 2008, the co-hosts hounded Obama about whether he knew he was related to the famed movie star, per People. Obama hilariously responded, "I guess we're ninth cousins, something, removed — or something. I think he got the better-looking side of the gene pool." After all the family talk, the two cousins eventually crossed paths.
Brad Pitt was a big supporter of Barack Obama
Brad Pitt finally met his ninth cousin, President Barack Obama, in 2009 and was overwhelmed by the meeting, per Politico. Journalist Jodi Kantor revealed the "Fight Club" actor was "in awe" meeting Obama. In the public eye, Pitt seems calm, cool, and collected, but anyone would feel nervous about meeting a president, even if you're a big movie star. Kantor explained that Pitt "barely said a thing, and he seemed overcome by meeting the president."
Luckily, this wouldn't be the last time Pitt crossed paths with Obama. In 2012, he and then-wife Angelina Jolie visited the Oval Office, and Pitt met Obama once more. The meetings with Obama seemed to make it clear that Pitt supported the president, but in case you weren't sure, Pitt even said so himself.
As Obama geared up to run for a second term in 2012, Pitt vocalized that he was all in for the president. Despite releasing a film, "Killing Them Softly," which highlighted the "toxic divide" of politics around the same time as Obama's second presidential run, Pitt told Interview (via Politico) that this film wasn't aimed at the president. He said, "Well, I just want to avoid confusion with this film and say, I'm a big supporter of Obama. And I think he's our best answer for the next four years." There's nothing like familial support and Pitt gave it all to Obama in 2012.