8 Celebrity Duos You Can’t Imagine Are Relatives – Who Are They?

In the exciting world of showbiz, it’s surprising to learn that some stars are actually related. The entertainment industry is full of unexpected family connections, linking actors, musicians, and TV personalities in ways you wouldn’t expect.

These celebrity pairs don’t always talk about being family, so fans are often shocked when they find out. This article unveils eight pairs of celebrities whose familial ties might surprise you.

From cousins who conquered different realms of entertainment to siblings who share the limelight, these connections add a fascinating layer to their already intriguing public personas.

Shirley MacLaine and Warren Beatty

Shirley MacLaine was born Shirley MacLean Beatty on April 24, 1934. She is an actress, writer, and producer with the ancestry of English and Scottish. Some of the productions Shirley has starred in include, the “Salem Witch Trials,” “Postcards from the Edge” and “Rumor Has It….”

The 90-year-old is the sister to Warren Beatty, who was born March 30, 1937. Since starring in his first film, “Splendor in the Grass,” Warren went on to hold diverse positions, including that of a producer, director, actor, and writer.

Shirley often speaks lovingly of her brother, who she says is the beautiful one in the family. When Warren was caught up in an Oscar flub in 2017, she expressed empathy and concern towards her brother.

In a historically chaotic scene, Warren was given the wrong envelope and so his co-presenter ended up reading the wrong winner for the best picture award. Shirley, who is protective of Warren, worried about how he must have felt being caught up in that chaos.

Warren Beatty, 87, has also spoken of his relationship with Shirley. After his big break into the entertainment industry, the actor turned to his sister for support. He expressed, “I was lucky to grow up with a feminist mother and a feminist sister. We’re very close.”

Still, the sibling’s relationship has not always been smooth as they have had years when they didn’t speak. One notable occasion is when they differed over his choice of girlfriends, particularly Madonna.

However, they managed to get back on speaking terms even when they were on different paths. Shirley revealed that she was also close to her brother’s kids. Ultimately, she said, as the senior, Warren is obliged to listen to her.

Julia Roberts and Emma Roberts

Emma Roberts, an actress and producer, is the daughter of Eric Roberts and Kelly Cunningham. She is known for starring in productions such as “American Horror Story,” “Madame Web,” and “We’re the Millers.”

Julia Roberts, an Oscar-winning actress, is Emma’s aunt. Emma’s dad, Eric, can see the resemblance between his sister and daughter. “They look so much alike that I love the pictures of them when they’re side-by-side,” shared Eric.

Eric added that it’s cool to look at Emma and Julia, 56, as he loves seeing them together. “They’re both such Robertses. You know?” he gushed.

Emma has also spoken out about looking like her famous aunt, noting that the reason for their likeness is that they both have a lot of teeth.

In 2019, Emma, 33, debuted new long blonde hair on Instagram, which sparked comparisons, highlighting an uncanny resemblance between her and Julia. The adorable photo showcased their striking similarities, including big eyes, matching hair, and radiant smiles.

Miley Cyrus and Dolly Parton

Miley Cyrus and Dolly Parton have known each other ever since the “Flowers” singer was a baby. Miley’s dad, Billy Ray Cyrus, and Dolly were friends. So, when the 31-year-old was born, her father told Dolly that she just had to be her godmother.

Dolly, 78, who accepted to be Miley’s godmother said, “We never did do a big ceremony, but I’m so proud of her, love her. and she’s just like one of my own.”

The “Jolene” singer has no kids of her own but she has treated Miley as if she were her own daughter. When Miley was on “Hannah Montana,” Dolly popped up as a guest star on an episode in the first season of the tween show in 2006.

As Miley started building a brand as a pop singer, Dolly showered her with compliments in public and always told her the truth in private. The two have also had music collaborations, including working on a new version of Miley’s 2013 hit song “Wrecking Ball.”

At 17 years old, Miley and Dolly performed a duet of the 1973 hit “Jolene” at the 25th anniversary of the Dollywood theme in the park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. The two sounded so well and sang together again at the Grammy Awards in February 2019.

Dolly, who has stood by Miley Cyrus through the ups and downs in her career is proud of the work she has done. She revealed that Miley comes to her for advice but she doesn’t need it as she is doing all right on her own.

Bob Odenkirk and King Charles

Robert Odenkirk, who goes by Bob, is an actor, screenwriter, and producer, born on October 22, 1982, in Berwyn, Illinois. Some of the movies and shows he has starred in are “Better Caul Saul,” “Breaking Bad,” and “Incredibles 2.”

The actor is the son of Barbara Odenkirk and Walter Odenkirk and his ancestry includes German and Irish. Robert, the second of seven children, revealed a surprising connection with the Royal Family that he found on his family tree.

The 61-year-old said that as an American, he doesn’t believe in the monarchy and was surprised when he was told that he and King Charles III are eleventh cousins. He also joked that maybe now he will change his mind about the monarchy.

Elle Fanning and Kate Middleton

Bob is not the only one with royal blood as Ancestry.com discovered in 2014 that Elle Fanning and her sister Dakota Fanning are related to King Edward III and Kate Middleton.

Elle is an actress, producer, and director born on April 9, 1998. Her roots trace back to Germany, Ireland, England, France, and the Channel Islands. The actress was surprised to learn that King Edward III is her great-great-great grandfather.

The “Maleficent” actress is also a very distant cousin of Kate Middleton. The 26-year-old did not do the testing as someone else did but she was glad to find these details out as she had always wanted to find out more about her family roots.

Owen Wilson and Luke Wilson

Luke Cunningham Wilson was born on September 21, 1971, to Irish American parents who are originally from Massachusetts. His mom, Laura Cunningham was a photographer while his dad Robert Andrew Cunningham was an advertising executive.

Luke, 52, grew up with his brothers Owen and Andrew Wilson. Andrew is the eldest while Owen is the middle brother. Luke’s brother, Owen, 55, is a self-proclaimed problem maker and just like his two brothers, he got into the acting industry.

Owen, who is guarded about his life, is close to his brothers. In 2007, it was reported that Owen had attempted suicide but he has not discussed this publicly. However, he said that his family helped immensely during his recovery.

Andrew, 59, moved in with him for a while after he left the hospital and Owen said that it felt great knowing that someone had his back. Andrew has continued to be of great support to Owen.

Owen has also lived with Luke Wilson when he was in Atlanta in 2022. When asked how it felt to be living with his younger brother after all these years, Owen described the situation as fun as he had someone to go to dinner and watch games with.

Owen also joked that the experience showed him what he liked about Luke and what could also drive him crazy. He hilariously said there was a lot of arguing, adding that depending on who is asked, either of them can be a neat freak while the other is a slob.

Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson

Country singer Reba McEntire is related to television personality Kelly Clarkson through marriage. Reba was married to Narvel Blackstock, and Narvel is the father of Brandon Blackstock.

Brandon Blackstock went on to marry Kelly from 2013 until their divorce was finalized in 2021. During Kelly’s marriage to Brandon, Reba was her stepmother-in-law.

Though Kelly and Brandon are no longer married, this relationship created a familial connection between the two music stars. Furthermore, Kelly revealed that she was friends with Reba long before she got married to Brandon.

Kelly added that Reba would know best that love sometimes doesn’t work out, so her divorce from Brandon has not affected their close relationship. The two have even worked together on “The Voice” and Reba has remained one of Kelly’s major influences as an artist.

Justin Bieber and Ryan Gosling

Justin Bieber was excited in 2019 when he found out that he was related to Ryan Gosling. The pop singer shared a screenshot of his roots tracing to Ryan and Avril Lavigne.

He captioned the post, “I also just found out that I’m related to both Ryan gosling and Avril Lavigne this is the best day of my life.. it seems super legit it’s on ancestry.com.”

Justin, who is of French-Canadian, Irish, German, English, and Scottish descent, received many comments from his fans with one of the saying, “The best day of my life? Wow no imaginations.”

Another fan wrote, “That’s pretty cool” while one user simply said, “Wow.” Just like Justin, Ryan’s ancestry is French-Canadian, as well as English, Scottish, and Irish. Now, the two are both thriving in the entertainment industry as actors and singers.

These surprising celebrity family connections add a fascinating twist to the entertainment world. From siblings to distant cousins, these relationships show that Hollywood is more interconnected than fans might think.

Knowing these stars are related gives a new perspective on their lives and careers, making their stories even more interesting.