Ellen DeGeneres never knew she was related to a pop icon until Lisa Kudrow told her: "Your cousin is..."
Lisa Kudrow is beloved for playing Phoebe Buffay on 'Friends', but did you know she has a fascinating hobby? Well, the fan-favorite 'Friends' star's curiosity about her family history led her to become an executive producer of 'Who Do You Think You Are?', a long-running show that reveals celebrities' ancestry. And in one surprising twist, Kudrow herself discovered an unexpected family connection to Ellen DeGeneres.
In 2010, Lisa Kudrow appeared on 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' to discuss 'Who Do You Think You Are?' and shared a surprising revelation about DeGeneres' ancestry. "Your 11th cousin is Madonna," Kudrow shared. "What you share is your 10th great-grandfather, his name was Martin Aucoin, from France... He had two daughters, Jean... That's your side. And another daughter, Michelle, and that gave rise to Madonna's side, and they moved to Canada. Then your fifth great-grandfather... he's the one who moved the family to Louisiana in the late 1700s." DeGeneres reacted with surprise, saying, "That's pretty far back," and added, "that's pretty amazing," as reported by Entertainment Weekly.
Anastasia Tyler, a genealogist at Ancestry, had some thoughts on the unexpected connection. "It’s not every day you discover two celebrity icons are related, but it’s their similarities that make the connection so extraordinary," Tyler said. "They were born the same year, have both written books and been on tour, and are known for their impressive dance moves," as reported by The Things. In 2012, when Madonna appeared on DeGeneres' show, the two talked about their distant family link. "It looks like we're related," DeGeneres said to Madonna, pointing out their similar features. "We have the same eye color," Madonna responded. "I heard it goes back to the 16th century." DeGeneres then showed Madonna the same family chart that Kudrow had shown her earlier.
"Whatever, I'm on your Christmas list now," DeGeneres joked. "That's what I'm getting at. So we have to hang out more often." "Do we have to give each other gifts?" Madonna asked. "No, you have to give me a gift," DeGeneres quipped. "You're richer than me."
During Madonna's appearance, DeGeneres also shared a story about a phone call she received from the singer in 1997. At that time, DeGeneres was about to come out as lesbian publicly on her sitcom 'Ellen', and there was a lot of media attention. "Madonna called me out of the blue, we had never met," DeGeneres recalled. "I just all of a sudden get a call saying, 'It's Madonna and I just want to say I'm behind you, I'm with you, I support you.'" Madonna also sent DeGeneres an inspiring quote from Martha Graham. "There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique," DeGeneres read. "And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it." DeGeneres told Madonna that the quote "meant the world" to her.
DeGeneres coming out was a huge topic of discussion, both before and after the episode aired. She wanted her character to have a girlfriend in the fifth season, but the reaction was negative. Some episodes even aired with warnings about "adult content." Eventually, the show was canceled. DeGeneres later said she was not officially told about the cancellation. Instead, her assistant found out by reading a trade magazine. After the show ended, her career suffered for a while. However, she made a strong comeback when 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' premiered in 2003.