🎤 Like a Prayer: Madonna and the Pope Are Family—Seriously
Pope Leo XIV’s Surprising Celebrity Ties Include Madonna, Justin Bieber, and More
Who says popes and pop stars don’t mix?
In a twist stranger than fiction, Pope Leo XIV—formerly Robert Prevost of Chicago—has been revealed to share ancestry with some of the biggest names in entertainment, politics, and literature. According to a recent New York Times report, the new pontiff is distantly related to none other than Madonna, Justin Bieber, Angelina Jolie, and even former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Yes, you read that right. The head of the Roman Catholic Church is connected by blood to the Queen of Pop and one of Canada’s biggest music exports.
How did this holy-heritage-meets-Hollywood connection come to light? It all starts in 17th-century Quebec with a French settler named Louis Boucher de Grandpré. Genealogical researchers have traced Pope Leo’s family tree through this early colonist, uncovering a tangled web of lineage that eventually stretches across France, Spain, Italy—and surprisingly—right into the celebrity-saturated hills of Hollywood.
Boucher de Grandpré is believed to be a common ancestor to a number of North American descendants, including not only Pope Leo XIV but also Madonna, Bieber, Angelina Jolie, Beat Generation icon Jack Kerouac, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Hillary Clinton. It’s a family reunion no one saw coming.
Born to Louis Marius Prevost and Mildred Martínez, Robert Prevost grew up on Chicago’s South Side. From a young age, his family and community saw something special in him. His brother John shared in an interview with ABC News that Robert was obsessed with playing priest as a child—even when other kids were pretending to be soldiers or teachers. “He knew right then and there that this was not a joke,” said John. “He had the calling early.”
And apparently, so did the neighborhood women. According to the family, several older ladies in their Creole community confidently predicted young Robert would become the first American pope. More than six decades later, their intuition proved spot-on.
At age 69, Pope Leo XIV has already made history as the first American-born pope. But his legacy is even more profound when you consider his rich and complex ancestry. His family history is deeply rooted in the Creole heritage of Louisiana, a culture born of French, Spanish, African, and Indigenous influences. Historical documents identify at least 17 of his known ancestors as “mulatto,” “free person of color,” or “quadroon,” reflecting the nuanced racial identities that defined New Orleans society for generations.
This cultural mosaic makes Pope Leo XIV’s rise to the Vatican not just a personal triumph, but a symbolic moment for many underrepresented communities within the Church. His background speaks to the global, multicultural identity of modern Catholicism—one that now, amusingly enough, also includes the glitz of pop music and celebrity politics.
Even Madonna might be surprised by the connection. In 2022, she famously tweeted at Pope Francis, joking that she had been excommunicated three times and wanted to meet him. “I’m a good Catholic. I swear! I mean, I don’t swear!” she wrote. Little did she know, she was reaching out to her very distant cousin.
Justin Bieber, raised Christian himself, hasn’t commented yet—but it’s likely the news would amuse him. The young pop idol has been vocal about his spiritual journey in recent years, and now he can claim papal kinship as part of it.
For Pope Leo, these connections are more curiosity than calling card. Still, they add an undeniable flair to his already remarkable life story. From a modest home in Chicago to the grandeur of St. Peter’s Basilica, his journey has crossed continents, cultures, and now—through bloodlines—entertainment empires.
It’s a reminder of how interconnected the world can be. In a time when faith and fame seem worlds apart, Pope Leo XIV stands at a unique crossroads. He embodies both spiritual depth and the kind of quirky ancestral surprise that keeps genealogists, and the rest of us, fascinated.
Because really—who knew the road to the Vatican could go through Hollywood?
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