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.
