A surprising family connection has come to light between country music icon Dolly Parton and pop star Miley Cyrus.
If you didn’t know, Dolly Parton has been Miley Cyrus’ godmother since birth. She took on the role at the request of Billy Ray Cyrus, Miley’s father and fellow country artist. Both women have strong roots in Tennessee, a state that has played a significant role in shaping their musical careers.
Over the years, Dolly and Miley have collaborated on various projects together. Dolly made multiple guest appearances on Miley’s Disney Channel show Hannah Montana.
They also have collaborated on music, such as their duet “Rainbowland” from Cyrus’ 2017 album Younger Now.
RELATED: Miley Cyrus Joins Godmother Dolly Parton For A Performance Of ‘Jolene’
When Dolly made Time Magazine’s 2021 list of 100 Most Influential People, Cyrus wrote of her godmother:
“Have you ever met anyone who doesn’t love Dolly Parton? I never have. Dolly is not only my idol because of her incomparable career—she’s also my role model because of her steadfast morals and values.”
And as it turns out, Dolly Parton and Miley Cyrus are even closer than you might think.
During a recent Access Hollywood segment, it was revealed that Ancestry.com had uncovered an unexpected link between the two musicians.
Ancestry.com is a popular online platform that provides genealogy and family history services. It allows users to research their family history, build family trees, and access historical records within their family.
The genealogy experts discovered that Parton and her goddaughter Cyrus are seventh cousins, once removed. This connection traces back to their common ancestor, John Brickey, who was born in Virginia in 1740 and later settled in Blount County, Tennessee. Brickey is Dolly’s sixth great-grandfather and Miley’s seventh great-grandfather.
“Is that true? That’s amazing! Well, we’re so close, Miley and I. I would’ve thought we would’ve been at least third cousins, 10 times removed,” Dolly joked.
She continued, “I’m sure she’ll get a kick out of that, but it doesn’t surprise me because she does feel like family.”
The revelation came as Dolly was promoting her new cookbook, Good Lookin’ Cookin’, co-authored with her sister Rachel. Watch Dolly find out the exciting new in the video below!