Brad Pitt's Obama link

Mar 26, 2008, 11:40 GMT

Angelina Jolie (L) and US actor Brad Pitt (R) EPA/PAUL BUCK

Brad Pitt is related to US presidential hopeful Barack Obama.

The 'Fight Club' actor - whose attempt to help Senator Obama's election campaign was reportedly refused by the Democrat - is a distant cousin of Obama, claim researchers at the New England Historic Genealogical Society.

According to the society, Pitt and Obama are actually ninth cousins, linked by a man called Edwin Hickman who died in 1769 in Virginia.

It has also been revealed Pitt's long-term partner Angelina Jolie is related to Obama's rival for the Democratic candidacy Hillary Clinton.

Jolie - who has three adopted children and a biological daughter with Pitt - is ninth cousins with Senator Clinton, through Jean Cusson, who died in Quebec, Canada, in 1718.

Genealogist Christopher Child said: "It shows that lots of different people can be related, people you wouldn't necessarily expect."

The study found Obama is also related to British World War II Prime Minister Winston Churchill and US Vice President Dick Cheney, while Clinton has links to Madonna, Celine Dion and Alanis Morissette.

The New England Historic Genealogical Society, which was founded in 1845, is the largest non-profit genealogical organisation in the US.

(C) BANG Media International