Miley Cyrus has always shared a special bond with her godmother, Dolly Parton, but it turns out the duo is closer than they previously knew. A new reveals that Cyrus and Parton are distant relatives — 7th cousins once removed, to be precise. Published this week on the Ancestry.
com website, the report breaks down how the singers are related. As it turns out, they share a "common ancestor from Tennessee" named John Brickey, who was Parton’s 6th great-grandfather and Cyrus’ 7th great-grandfather. Born in 1740 in Virginia, Brickey later relocated to Tennessee with his wife and children and stayed there until he died in 1806.
“The Brickey family originated from France and the progenitor of the family came to the United States in the late 1600s,” the report reads. Ancestry made the discovery by using the "billions of historical records and public family trees" in its records. In an interview with , Parton reacted to the revelation.
"Is that true? That's amazing," she said. "We're so close, Miley and I. You would've though we would've been at least third cousins.
I'm sure she'll get a kick out of that. It doesn't surprise me because she does feel like family." TODAY.
com has reached out to Cyrus for comment. Over the years, Parton and Cyrus have spoken at length about their special relationship. In 2023, that Parton has "been like a mother" to her and described a fax message the country icon sent her a few years ago on Mother's Day.
“Dolly wrote to me to say: ‘How much .