How is Pope Leo XIV related to Madonna, Justin Bieber, and Angelina Jolie? The surprising truth hidden in his family tree
When Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost took the name Pope Leo XIV on May 8, becoming the first American to ascend to the papacy, the world expected headlines. But no one saw this coming: the 267th pontiff has a family tree that links him to some of the most famous names in pop culture—including Madonna, Justin Bieber, and Angelina Jolie. Yes, you read that right. The leader of the Catholic Church is distantly related to the Queen of Pop herself.
Following Pope Leo's historic appointment, an extensive genealogical study by The New York Times , in collaboration with American Ancestors and the Cuban Genealogy Club of Miami, unearthed a fascinating heritage. Digging as far back as the early 1500s, the investigation traced Pope Leo's ancestry to a Canadian ancestor, Louis Boucher de Grandpré, born in Trois-Rivières, Quebec. Through this line, the Pope shares distant familial ties with several celebrities and global leaders.
According to the report, Pope Leo XIV is a 'ninth cousin, various times removed' to both Madonna and Justin Bieber—an uncanny twist, especially considering the Vatican's past public clash with Madonna over her controversial 1989 video Like a Prayer . As the news went viral, social media was quick to respond with a mix of disbelief and giddy amusement. One user on X (formerly Twitter) exclaimed, 'Wait, Pope Leo XIV is actually a distant relative of Madonna?! That's such a wild and iconic connection. Like, royalty meets pop royalty? I'm obsessed with this tea.'
But the surprises didn't stop with pop stars. Pope Leo XIV's sprawling lineage includes U.S. politician Hillary Clinton, Canadian Prime Ministers Pierre and Justin Trudeau, literary icon Jack Kerouac, and actor Angelina Jolie. As The Times reports, his ancestry spans continents—40 ancestors born in France, 24 in Italy, 21 in Spain, 22 in the U.S., 10 in Cuba, 6 in Canada, and even 1 each from Haiti and Guadeloupe. Pope Leo also has African-American roots. His grandfather, Joseph Nerval Martínez, was born to African-American parents in Haiti before returning to New Orleans in 1866. His heritage includes enslaved people, slaveowners of both Black and white descent, freedom fighters, and noblemen—making his background as textured as it is global.
— BuzzingPop (@BuzzingPop)
Born in Chicago, Pope Leo XIV has already made headlines beyond his DNA. In his first Sunday address on May 11, he delivered a strong anti-war message, calling for peace in Ukraine, a ceasefire in Gaza, and urging India and Pakistan toward resolution. He has also been vocal in his criticisms of former U.S. President Donald Trump, once sharing a tweet condemning the policy of separating migrant children from their families.
While it might seem like a strange juxtaposition—Madonna and the Pope sharing bloodlines—the discovery underscores the interconnectedness of human history. As genealogist Brenton Simons told The New York Times , 'The Pope's ancestry is a rich tapestry of global migration, cultural fusion, and resilience.'
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