Is Kaitlin Olson related to Olsen twins? All about the actress’s family as she opens up about personal life

Kaitlin Olson has no relation to the famous twin siblings Mary-Kate and Ashley-Olsen, nor does she share a bond with them. Kaitlin has a personal passion and path in show business beginning with stand-up comedy and adult television, unlike the child stardom that fueled the subsequent success of the Olsen twins.

The sisters rose to popularity after landing a role in Full House, while the rest of the world knew them as the hilarious Dee from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. With so many other actors, Kaitlin came to be recognized as Sweet Dee from the FX hit sitcom.

The former child actresses went on to establish a renowned fashion business. But the child stardom the twins enjoyed and their position in America tend to confuse people with their surname, making the assumption that Kaitlin is related to them.

Kaitlin Olson has shared about her life and has pointed out that her family and career remain decoupled from the Olsens. She spent her childhood in Tigard, Oregon, where her father, Don Olson, served as a publisher of the Portland Tribune.

Kaitlin also shared about a life-changing head injury relating to a bike wreck at the start of her freshman year, which left her with a shaved head – a traumatic injury that made her more confident, as she claims. Her training stemmed from The Groundlings, a comedy troupe in Los Angeles. This earned her pivotal roles in Hollywood, such as parts in The Drew Carey Show and Curb Your Enthusiasm, which later led her to It’s Always Sunny.

Kaitlin’s spouse is her Always Sunny co-star Rob McElhenney, with whom she has two sons now aged 13 (Axel) and 11 (Leo), born in 2010 and 2012, respectively.

She describes the speculation connecting her with the twins Olsen as understandable, but “completely false” — a case of coincidence, not kinship.

A look at Kaitlin Olson’s family background

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Kaitlin grew up in a nurturing family with an understanding of the media industry. Her father, Don Olson, was active in Portland's journalistic scene. In September 2008, she married Rob McElhenney, and the two have both started a family together and a joint creative venture on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

Olson has said that her husband and children have provided balance to her life amid the frenzy of Hollywood. It was only after working tirelessly in comedy, without the benefit of early exposure that her career really took off.

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