Some of these are truly straight out of a soap opera.
It isn’t unusual to learn new things about your parents, family, or family history.
And recently, I stumbled upon a very oldReddit threadthat touched upon just that.
He was attacked on his way home from an Elks Lodge meeting.
He suffered amnesia and regained consciousness as a sailor on his way to Haiti.
He regained consciousness in jail with a new-found memory of who he was."
“He told this tale to a priest from jail, who believed him and wanted to help.
Floradonna
2.
“My father had an affair with his brother’s wife, so my cousin is also my half-brother.
My cousin doesn’t know, though.
My grandma let this slip whilst wasted.”
O-shi
3.
He ended up dying a few years ago, and it turns out he was a priest.
Because, ya know, priests can’t get married.”
lchristian99
4.
“My aunt was adopted by my grandmother…or at least that was what she thought.
So he convinced my grandmother to adopt the baby that was ‘found at the hospital.’
My grandmother died without knowing the truth about it.”
QueenofDisaster369
5.
“My dad is a straight man.
He fooled around on my mom with another woman.”
laterdude
6.
Her husband is an asshole to our family, and she lets him completely get away with it.
I guess we know why now."
catbup
7.
“My grandma inherited several hundred thousand dollars from her stepdad.
The juicy part is that, to this day, no one knows how he got it.
No one even knew he had that kind of money until he died.
notstephanie
8.
After stealing $8, he walked three doors down to a Chinese restaurant and sat down to eat.
Since it was winter, the cops just followed his tracks, apparently.”
Horse_Armour
9.
(Poison was assumed as he was just found dead in the field.
They were farmers.)
Everyone in the family and the neighborhood knew except, I guess, the RCMP.
This was around 1935 in rural Alberta."
redplanetlover
10.
“Ages ago, I arranged a meeting with the local dope dealer through a real half-assed friend.
Well, surprise, surprise, the dealer turned out to be my dad.
Needless to say, major questions were asked on both sides.
My God, the look on our faces must’ve been priceless!”
NovaNora
11.
“That my great-grandmother was a vengeful woman.
She found out that her husband (my great-grandfather) had cheated on her.
He had a stroke and was bedridden in his fifties.
She also had no shame on who she screwed.
She screwed the pastor and the sheriff, to name a few of her triumphs.
This was in the early 1950s.”
madommouselfefe
12.
She was married in 1959 when she was 19 to a man from a wealthy family.
I had no idea that my father was her second husband."
“Then, when I was 17, my mother revealed that my older brother and sister were adopted.
And not just adopted, but adopted during her first marriage.
I had no idea they weren’t my biological siblings.
And they had never spilled the beans either.”
OriginalClownHerpes
13.
“I found out when I was 22, but apparently, I had an older sister.
“I never asked my parents about it.
I just quietly visited the grave by myself once to leave a flower.
It was a pretty unreal feeling.”
[deleted]
14.
“My white, Jewish grandfather was once part of a Black gang.”
Kelevra29
15.
“My mom married my stepfather in the mid-’80s.
My mom and dad had been divorced since my birth in the early ’70s.
I always knew there was something a little off with my stepfather.
But hey, my mom really liked this guy, so I was in.
“Then, in 1997, my mom and stepdad divorced.
Didn’t ever hear him come up much in conversation after that.
Now, fast forward to 2007.
My mom, unfortunately, had cancer, and it was nearing the end of her life.
My eyes perked right up, I knew it I knew it, something was off about him!
Maybe he went AWOL from the Army?
Maybe he had a kid I didn’t know about?
She continued on, ‘Your stepfather was a gay porn star in the ’70s.
‘This, I had not expected.”
buddhatown
16.
“My grandfather had an affair with my dad’s first wife.
When my dad found out, he pulled a gun on him.
My dad had a one-night stand out of anger and revenge.
That woman got pregnant with my oldest sister.
The rest is history.”
thegreatbaconing
17.
Bonus: They are still married 30 years later.”
FatherOf3-2Xs
18.
“My friend turned 15 and was told she was adopted.
Told her that both parents were dead.
A year later, a man messages her on Facebook, saying that he’s her half-brother.
“That’s the ‘secret,’ so to speak.
However, the story continues, as her biological father wanted to meet her.
She flies out to meet him, stays with him, met his wife and her half-siblings.
She struggled with the idea of reconnecting with him because she both loathes and loves him.
Loathes him for not wanting her and for getting a new family.
Loves him for wanting to make a difference in her life and reconnect.
She takes the plunge anyway.
Six months later, he died from lung cancer.”
Spagattaca
19.
“My great-grandpa was a decorated soldier who fought in the Indian regiment of British troops in WWI.
My great-grandpa even picked up an STI from a sex worker.
Luftwaffle88
20.
Patty’s parents died when Patty was about 38 years old.
you could read the original thread onReddit.
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.
