Family Roots

When she decided to buy the DNA kits, Rebecca had only ever intended for it to be a way to explore their family heritage. It was little more, in Rebecca’s mind, than a fun activity for them all to do together.

They all eagerly collected their samples, placed them in the provided containers, and sent them off to the labs to become tested. However, the Cartellones had no idea what awaited them as the results would tear apart their entire world.

Something’s Wrong

Finally, after a two-month wait, the results finally arrived. It had seemed strange that it took so long for the results to arrive. So in February 2019 Rebecca, Joseph, and Jennifer eagerly opened the results to see what they would reveal.

According to the results, Rebecca and Jennifer unsurprisingly shared most of the same DNA as would be expected. However, what they didn’t expect was the results of her father’s DNA. According to the results, Rebecca and Joseph shared no DNA whatsoever.

What Happened?

In August 2019, Joseph spoke to Good Morning America about what happened and revealed what happened next. “When we looked at the results, what we immediately noticed was that there were no traces of Italian DNA in [Rebecca’s results] at all…”

Joseph added: “And her DNA matched my wife’s pretty closely.”. However, this was just the beginning of their journey, and they were completely unaware of the torrent of questions and revelations that lay ahead, about to reshape their understanding of their family’s history.

A Mistake

Naturally, in the beginning, Joseph and his family believed that it had just been a simple mistake. As a result, the family contacted the company that created the DNA kits in the hopes of sorting out this mix-up.

However, the company responded and said that due to the nature of the process and the rigorous testing that the samples underwent there would be almost no room for error. So what did that mean? Joseph knew he had to get to the bottom of what happened.

Mystery

To clear up the obvious misunderstanding, Rebecca and Joseph decided to take a paternity test together. They waited anxiously for the results. Then they finally got the results they eagerly took a look only to have their worst nightmares confirmed.

Joseph found himself in a state of disbelief, unable to fathom what he was witnessing. He had always unquestioningly trusted his wife’s faithfulness in their relationship. However, the undeniable DNA connection hinted at a mystery that couldn’t be ignored.

A Dark Secret

Joseph recounted his emotional journey, revealing how his initial disbelief swiftly transformed into profound shock and eventually evolved into a deep sense of anger. The revelation of the family’s DNA connection had taken an unexpected and emotionally charged turn, leaving him grappling with a complex mix of emotions.

The paternity test had confirmed that Rebecca and Joseph were not biologically connected at all. And these findings would ultimately reveal a scandal that went far beyond mere infidelity on Jennifer’s part. It was much, much worse.