Despite the uncomfortable discovery, the pair decided they would remain together and continue their lives with the three children
A DNA test has completely rocked a happily married couple’s life after they made an unsettling discovery.
Celina and Joseph Quinones have been married since July 2006 and share three children together, but they wanted to learn more about their family tree. However, what they found out was more than they bargained for.
The DNA test revealed that Mr and Mrs Quinones were related – they were actually cousins.
The shocking revelation left Celina ‘sick to her stomach’ despite having been intimate with her dearest husband, and cousin, Joseph for almost two decades.
Their relationship began just a few months before they decided to tie the knot, and at the time, no one on either side of the family knew each other – despite them looking similar, and their grandparents even more so.
Realtor Celina told PEOPLE Magazine: “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.”
To be fair, you couldn’t really come to the assumption that you are related to someone if neither side of the family have a clue themselves – and it’s definitely not something anyone is thinking about on their big day.
The pair made the unfortunate discovery after a DNA test. (realestatemommas/Tiktok)
The truth only came out when Celina began looking into their family tree through MyHeritage, roughly 10 years into marriage.
Celina recalled: “I ordered the DNA tests. They came in, and sure enough, we did our swabs, put them in the mail, and off they went.
“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.'”
The pair don’t know exactly what degree to which they’re related, but the DNA tests indicated they are between second to seventh cousins – so the closest relative they could potentially have in common would be a great-grandparent.
Celina admitted that the discovery threw her marriage into question, including considering whether it would be right for them to stay together.
She said: “I was in shock. I was a little depressed over it, to be honest.”
Ultimately, Celina decided that the right thing to do would be for them to stay together.
They decided to stay together. (Davin G Photography / Getty Stock Image)
She said: “This was after we already had three kids, and all of them were healthy. They have 10 fingers, 10 toes, but it was just a shock.”
The pair documented the discovery in a video that they posted to TikTok.
The clip has since gone on to have more than four million views on the platform.
Predictably, a lot of people expressed their distaste that the pair had decided to stay together after the discovery.
As for Celina, she said that she has come to terms with it, and is happy they’ve decided to stay together.
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?”