The world of celebrity is so much more interwoven than you realise. We all know the Baldwins, the Sheens and the Gyllenhaals, but here are nine more celebrity family connections that might surprise you.
1. Jenny McCarthy and Melissa McCarthy (cousins)
Jenny McCarthy, the former host of The View who today is best known for her controversial views on vaccination, recently Instagrammed a pretty adorable childhood pic of her and A-list cousin Melissa.
2. Carice van Houten and Jelka van Houten (sisters)
"Who?" you say. We wouldn't blame you for not recognising them from the picture, but that's Sabine from Fresh Meat on the left and Melisandre the Red Priestess from Game of Thrones on the right. Mind. Blown.
3. Tom Cruise and William Mapother (cousins)
Yup. Ethan from Lost is Tom Cruise's cousin. And Mapother reportedly converted to Scientology in 2010, so it would seem these guys are in touch.
4. Naomi Campbell and Richard Blackwood (step-siblings)
Supermodel Naomi's mum was married to the EastEnders star's dad between 1982 and 1989. She still follows him on Twitter.
5. Pablo Schreiber and Liev Schreiber (half-brothers)
Yes, that is indeed Pornstache from Orange is the New Black with Naomi Watts' ex-husband. These guys are half-brothers on their father's side.
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6. Snoop Dogg and Ray J (cousins)
Singer-songwriter and former Celebrity Big Brother housemate Ray J might be best known for that sex tape he made with Kim Kardashian, but he's also Snoop Dogg's first cousin. Snoop is therefore also Brandy's cousin, because she's Ray's sister.
7. Christian Bale and Gloria Steinem (stepson/stepmother)
Feminist icon Steinem – whose accomplishments include coining the phrase 'A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle' – married Bale's father in 2000, making her his stepmother.
8. Chris Hemsworth and Liam Hemsworth (duh)
Obviously everybody in the world knows that these guys are brothers, with the hilarious exception of Woody Harrelson. You can watch the glorious moment when Harrelson puts two and two together in the video above.
9. Giles Coren, Alexander Armstrong and David Mitchell (brothers-in-law)
Stick with us on this one. Peep Show star David Mitchell is married to Only Connect host Victoria Coren Mitchell, who is the sister of columnist, presenter and professional annoyer Giles Coren. He, meanwhile, is married to food writer Esther Walker, whose sister Hannah Bronwen Snow is married to Pointless host Alexander Armstrong. Which makes the boys brothers-in-law to greater or lesser degrees.
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Emma Dibdin is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles who writes about culture, mental health, and true crime. She loves owls, hates cilantro, and can find the queer subtext in literally anything.
