Is Pope Leo XIV really related to Justin Bieber, Madonna, and other celebrities? 

Rumors are swirling online that Pope Leo XIV is secretly related to big stars like Madonna and Justin Bieber. The New York Times, in collaboration with the Cuban Genealogy Club of Miami and American Ancestors, published a report revealing surprising details about the new pope’s family history.

According to the article, his roots go back centuries, with ancestors from Italy, Spain, and France. Some of his relatives even settled in Quebec, making it even broader. The report looked back as far as the early 1500s to trace the Pope’s family history.

Researchers found that he is distantly related to many big and famous celebrities, like singers Justin Bieber and Madonna, through one of his Canadian ancestors, Louis Boucher de Grandpré. Grandpré was reportedly born in Trois-Rivières, Quebec. Justin Bieber is Canadian, while Madonna’s mother’s side was French-Canadian.

Per Henry Louis Gates Jr., host of the podcast Finding Your Roots, Pope Leo is a distant relative of Justin Bieber and Madonna. They are "ninth cousins, various times removed."

Which Hollywood and political figures are distantly related to Pope Leo XIV?

While the names of Justin Bieber and Madonna are coming forward, they're not the only ones that are related to the Pope. The New York Times report also revealed that he is related to American politician and lawyer Hillary Clinton, former Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau, and his father, Pierre Trudeau. Additionally, he is also related to actress Angelina Jolie and late American writer Jack Kerouac.

The news has come as both a shock and a source of amusement for many, with people taking their time to believe it. Along with these surprising celebrity ties, Pope Leo also has African-American roots, through which he shares a family history that includes enslaved people and freedom fighters.

The internet had mixed reactions to the news. Some people found it amusing and surprising, while others weren’t too shocked, saying that we’re all connected in some way if you go back far enough.

In May 2025, Pope Leo XIV became the newly elected leader of the Catholic Church. Talking about the new name, the deacon from Peru, Cleider Pérez Mejía, told NBC:

"I believe the name he chose is also meaningful: Leo XIII was the pope who mediated between modernity and the ancien régime. By choosing this name, he has sent a clear signal about what his role will be in such difficult times as these."

Also Read: World leaders welcome Pope Leo XIV as first North American pontiff

All we know about the newly elected Pope Leo XIV

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