A woman has revealed how her Christmas present from her father led to the revelation of an epic family secret.
Cat McDonald, from Nashville, Tenesee, took to TikTok to explain her father gave the entire family ancestral DNA tests for Christmas.
Because of her surname and red hair, she has always defined herself as ‘Irish’, but the results of the DNA test showed she has Norwegian, British and and German heritage and what’s more, a paternal DNA match that was not her father.
The saga became even more outrageous when her father recognised the name of the person as an ‘old family friend’, who Cat claims is a billionaire.
However, after ‘driving across the country’ to give him a letter, he refused to meet with her.
TikTok users have been gripped by the tale and suggested that Cat’s father knew what he was doing by giving her the DNA test as a gift.
TikToker Cat McDonald has admitted that she discovered a life-changing family secret after she was gifted an ancestral DNA test by her father for Christmas
The violinist took to TikTok, where she goes by the username @fretlessfeline, to explain that the ‘brilliant’ idea to gift her whole family DNA tests was her father’s.
In the video, which has been shared more than 3.7million times, Cat explained that she has always identified as Irish because her ‘last name is McDonald’ and her hair is ‘bright f*****g red’.
But in an unexpected turn of events, the DNA test proved that she is 75 per cent Norwegian as well as being German and British – but that she had no Irish ancestry.
She revealed that she rang her father to share the baffling news, saying: ‘So I called [my dad] cracking up and said “Guess what! I’m not Irish. At all”.’
But her father immediately insisted: ‘There’s no way you’re not Irish.’
Left feeling confused, she then logged into her DNA account while she was still on the phone and saw she had a paternal match – but it wasn’t her father.
Drinking a large glass of red wine, she said: ‘I had an exact paternal match – it just wasn’t him.’
In the video, Cat explained that she has always identified as Irish. But the DNA test proved she is 75 per cent Norwegian as well as being German and British – but she had no Irish ancestry
In a second video, Cat continued to document the unexpected family drama, saying she confronted her two aunts and her mother, who were all ‘shook’ by the news.
She said: ‘I confronted my mom and two of my aunts immediately.
‘Everyone including my mother was f**king shook.’
But she admitted that even her father ‘recognised’ the name of the DNA match.
She continued: ‘Apparently he was an old family friend.
‘As someone whose genealogy literally exudes privilege, I do want to say that I am very grateful for the life that my parents have provided me.
‘However, I smell bulls***.’
Left feeling confused, she then logged into her DNA account while she was still on the phone and saw she had a paternal match – but it wasn’t her father
Cat went on to explain that she wanted ‘answers’ so looked up the mystery man’s name online to find out more, discovering that he has three other daughters.
She said: ‘So, I Googled this dude’s name and he is a billionaire.
‘He is the CEO of a major company and his three daughters work for him, and naturally, like the unstable millennial that I am, I drive halfway across the country to his corporate office.
‘I tried to give him a letter but when he heard my name he refused to meet with me.
‘Basically, all it really said was ‘thank you’ because I’m really happy to be alive.
Cat said she confronted her two aunts and her mother about the test, who were all ‘shook’ by the news – but even her father recognised the name of the DNA match
‘You all know as much as I do that at this point, but I really want more answers.’
The video has since amassed floods of comments from shocked TikTok users who have speculated that her father ‘suspected something was up’.
One follower penned: ‘No no, he knew something was up. You don’t gift a whole FAMILY DNA kits unless somethings up’
And other suspicious fan wrote: ‘He deffo suspected.’
Cat has teased that there could be a potential ‘part three’ video as she continues to unravel the shocking family saga.