It seems like a family reunion with some of Canada’s biggest stars is in order. Researchers at Ancestry.com revealed on Thursday that pop singer Justin Bieber is related to actor Ryan Gosling and singers Avril Lavigne and Celine Dion.
According to genealogists, the four stars are connected to one another through some of Quebec’s earliest settlers over 400 years ago.
The site revealed that Bieber and Gosling are 11th cousins once removed. The young singer is also 12th cousins with fellow Canadian singer Avril Levigne. The three stars share common relatives from early 1600s France Mathurin Roy and Marguerite Bire, who moved to Quebec after marrying in 1637, MTV News reported.
Bieber, who rose to international fame after being discovered by talent manager Scooter Braun and singer Usher, and Dion are 10th cousins three times removed, MTV News stated. CBS News reported that the two share a link to French couple Jacques Vezina and Marie Boisdon from the 1600s. The couple reportedly moved to Quebec and died there in 1687.
Ancestry.com researcher Michelle Ercanback told CBS News, “The great thing about family history is that you never know what you’re going to find. It was a very pleasant surprise.” According to the researcher, the site began collecting information about Bieber’s family tree about a year ago.
The genealogy site did similar research with President Barack Obama’s ancestry and in July announced that the president was a descendant of an African slave, CBS News reported.
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