Couple married for 17 years finds out they're cousins after DNA test
The universe will always find a way to unveil unexpected truths. Take it from this couple who found out that they are actually related, ten years into their marriage.
Celina and Joseph Quinones have been married since 2006 and have an intimate relationship that blossomed into three children ages 15, 13, and 10. Their peaceful marriage turned the other way around when they discovered that they belonged in the same family tree.
After 10 years into their married life, they decided to take a DNA test through MyHeritage.
"I ordered the DNA tests. They came in, and sure enough, we did our swabs, put them in the mail, and off they went,” Celina told PEOPLE.
“Then we got the results back, and I searched the family tree DNA — another part of the search — and saw him pop up there. And I go, 'Oh no.'"
After reading the unexpected result, Celina shared how she got a “little depressed” about it.
"I was in shock. I was a little depressed over it, to be honest. But this was after we already had three kids, and all of them were healthy," she said. "They have 10 fingers, 10 toes, but it was just a shock.”
According to the report, their DNA test results indicated that “they are between second to seventh cousins,” having their great-grandparents as their potentially closest relatives in common.
Contrary to Celina’s reaction, Joseph shared that it was “not a big deal,” assuring her not to worry.
"Joseph was like, 'Babe, don't worry about it. It's not a big deal. Just brush it off.' I was like, 'Should we get a divorce? Are we even supposed to be together?'” she shared.
“I started rethinking ... and then after a while, I was like, 'Nope, we're just staying together.' There's nothing we can do about it. I'm not going to let some blood come between us."
Celina and Joseph got married in 2006, and although their families met a couple of times, none of them thought they might be related.
"We ended up having our wedding, and even then, our grandmas seemed to be a lot alike, and they got along, but still, nothing clicked," Celina recalled.
Joseph, for his part, shared: "We didn't think about it. I never saw her at family reunions, funerals, or weddings."
Now finding their situation funny, Celina shared their story via her TikTok account in March, where it garnered mixed reactions.
@realestatemommas #CapCut ♬ original sound - The Qs (Realtor & Writer)
"There's a lot of negative comments, it's horrible," Celina tells PEOPLE. "People keep asking, 'Why would you do that? Why would you post this?' But I take everything with a grain of salt.”
Some of the comments include, "Ok just saw the first pic and was like dang they look like siblings," and "So y’all still decided to stay together? THATS SICK ASFFFF."
But Celina shared that she just ignore negative comments, focusing more on their marriage.
“I'm a realtor, so I'm used to getting badgered all the time, so I'm like, 'Ah, it's nothing,'" she said. "I feel a little more free."
"Like, it is what it is. There are people that love no matter what or who, so why can't I love my cousin by accident?" she concluded.