A couple from Colorado who got married after dating for four months and had three kids together were stunned to find out they are cousins after taking a 23 and Me DNA test.
Celina and Joseph Quinones told the Love Don’t Judge podcast that they chose to have the DNA test after Celina became interested in the different skin tones and hair textures of their kids.
Joseph and Celina Quinones
“I really started to look into my DNA because I wanted to know where I came from.” My daughter has very dark skin, my son has curly hair, and my middle child has fair skin. People would always inquire, “What are you?” “I couldn’t really say anything other than Native American,” Celina added.
The DNA findings showed that the pair was related in a way they never thought possible. I felt sick to my stomach when I found out we were relatives. I was thinking, “Should we break up?” “Are we even meant to be together?” Celina spoke more.
Celina added that after posting a TikTok video about her experience, the post got millions of views and a lot of criticism. “One individual replied, “This is really upsetting; why would you marry your cousin?” I didn’t know it was going to get that huge.
The pair says that none of their family members knew about the link when they got married. They then found out that Joe’s father’s grandmother had been adopted, which they think is why there is a gap in the family records.
“Colorado seems like a big place, but it’s not that big.” Celina stated, “Everyone knows everyone, and most likely, everyone is related.”
The pair said they established a dating app called Before We Be because of what they went through. The platform is meant to allow those who want to date find out if their potential partners are related to them.
The pair didn’t say how close they were as cousins. They are still married and are raising their three kids together.
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