Top 20+ dramatic family secrets: 'Her husband's best friend was actually the father of all 4 of her children'

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Jul 28, 2024 4:00 PM EDT

Sure, everyone says that all families have their fair share of secrets, but these ones definitely stand above the rest.

The number of secret children, second and third families, and hidden pasts among these Redditors are sure to have folks thanking their parents for being relatively normal. Or perhaps these stories will just instill fear and suspicion among our readers. Who's to say? Regardless, as has been said time and time again, who among us does not love to hear about juicy family drama when it's not your own family? That way, you don't have to deal with navigating odd social dynamics at subsequent family gatherings. Instead, you can just imagine how awkward that will be for the people involved. It's why we love family soap operas–it's gossip we can consume without having to deal with the emotional fallout or consequences.

Keep scrolling below for this collection of juicy family secrets and revelations. For more compilations like this, take a look at this list of top fast food and delivery mishaps.

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  • 01
    "[Found] out around when my dad turned 60 he had an older sister. Found a whole slew of cousins we never knew."
    via Boston Public Library
  • 02
    dramboxf. That my parents "had" to get married. They always told us they got married in 1961, but it was 1962, 3 months before my sister was born. What's amusing is that my father was an accountant who was insanely fast with math. Whenever he was asked how many years they'd been married, he'd be off by one. My mother would correct him through clenched teeth and then my father would nod and agree.
    via u/AbsoluteHavoc
  • 03
    I_see_fa My mother is kid #7 of 10. My aunt (kid #4) who was born in 1945 did her DNA and found out that she has a different father from everyone else. She was devastated. There was always rumor that there was an affair but nobody talked about it. She has so many questions but nobody's alive to answer her.
    via u/AbsoluteHavoc
  • 04
    Picklesgal111 · Found out my uncle is actually my brother, my mom had him when she was so young that my grandparents raised him.
    via u/AbsoluteHavoc
  • 05
    [deleted]. My sister cheated on her husband throughout her entire marriage to the point that all three of her kids have different biological fathers.
    via u/AbsoluteHavoc
  • 06
    Cocobean4. When my mother fell ill and I took over her finances I found thousands of pounds of gambling debt on her credit cards. Then I found adoption papers for a child she'd had before me that she'd never mentioned.
    via u/AbsoluteHavoc
  • 07
    ksromo My great great grandfather was exiled and banned from Missouri for being a sheep thief
    via u/AbsoluteHavoc
  • 08
    NotSeriousAtAll. A buddy of mine met a girl at a bar. They totally hit it off. He told his parents about her and his Dad took him outside and told him not to date her because she was his half sister.
    via u/AbsoluteHavoc
  • 09
    usereddit. Due to 23&Me, my Dad learned that his recently deceased father was not his biological father. It wasn't a situation related to my grandma cheating either, it was a Sdonation. So, they knew this was the case his entire life. Pretty crazy they never told him, his parents did not pass until he was ~65 years old. Talk about a curveball.
    via u/AbsoluteHavoc
  • 10
    Syrairc We found out after my grandfather d☐ that none of his seven children with my grandmother were his, and that they all likely had different fathers.
    via u/AbsoluteHavoc
  • 11
    shartnado3. Right after my grandma passed away, we found out she had a secret son she gave up for adoption (thanks ancestry.com!). Crazy thing is, my wife just found out she has an uncle nobody ever knew about from her dads side! (Thank you 23andme!). These ancestry sites are wrecking things lol
    via u/AbsoluteHavoc
  • 12
    Poorly-Drawn-Beagle Turns out my grandma had a secret affair and my mom is an illegitimate child. This completely shattered grandma and mom's relationship until gran passed away about a month ago. Also apparently I'm a quarter Iranian.
    via u/AbsoluteHavoc
  • 13
    [deleted] Great grandparents' 60th anniversary party at hotel ballroom with cousins/2nd cousins who hadn't seen each other in years. My mom and I were talking to my grandfather. • Mom: Wow. I haven't seen Chuck, Fred, and a Claire in years. • Me: no kidding. When do you think we'll get a group this big back together? • Mom: Gramps' bday is in 6 months. We'll see some people then. • Me: 6 months? Isn't it his 60th? • All: ... • Gramps: Huh. I never thought about that. My grandfather was 60 when h
    via u/AbsoluteHavoc
  • 14
    roo1ster. About a month ago, my mother-in-law's 88 year old sister revealed on her death bed that her husband's best friend was actually the father of all 4 of her children.
    via u/AbsoluteHavoc
  • 15
    NoCalorieWater My Dad was married before he married my mom and i have a sister out there that nobody speaks about or will answer any questions
    via u/AbsoluteHavoc
  • 16
    Madame_F When I was 5 years old (1988), Santa Clause left a Nintendo on our front porch. It was wrapped in newspaper, and my parents had no idea who gifted it to us. My dad, particularly, tried to figure it out. He was always suspicious that it had been a family friend. It was by far the best gift of the year, and we played it all the time throughout our childhood. My dad din 2004.
    via u/AbsoluteHavoc
  • 17
    Last Christmas, my mom explained that she was the one who had bought it and surreptitiously placed it on the porch. My dad really liked to be in control of things and had forbidden the purchase. She knew better. She didn't tell a soul for 30 years. Thanks Mom
    via u/AbsoluteHavoc
  • 18
    [deleted] I was 35 when my mother finally admitted to me that she'd been lying about who my birth father was. She waited until after I'd reached out to his other children and we all thought we were siblings. He later confirmed I wasn't his. She refused to tell me who my biological father really was.
    via u/AbsoluteHavoc
  • 19
    QuothTheRaven More. Find out, around when my dad turned 60 he had an older sister. Found a whole slew of cousins we never knew
    via u/AbsoluteHavoc
  • 20
    19southmainco My grandmother was my grandfather's babysitter for his first wife.
    via u/AbsoluteHavoc

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family drama entitled parents drama sisters secrets parenting entitled family reddit thread Reddit entitled people Parenting FAILS
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