(CNN)- Dolly Parton discovered that her special connection with her granddaughter Miley Cyrus is even deeper than she originally thought.
Family tree and genealogy tracking site Ancestry announced Monday that using “billions of historical records and public family trees,” they discovered that the two music powerhouses are actually seventh cousins, once removed.
According to genealogy, their common ancestor is a man named John Brickey, who was born in Virginia in 1740. Brickie is Parton’s sixth great-grandfather and Cyrus’ seventh great-grandfather.
“Miley and I are very close. I thought we were at least third cousins,” Parton said, reacting to the revelation on Monday’s episode of Access Hollywood. “It doesn’t surprise me because I feel like he’s my family.”
Parton is Cyrus’ godmother and before Appeared in several episodes of Disney Channel shows “Hannah Montana” plays Cyrus’ aunt.
The couple always openly expressed their closeness, which Cyrus mentioned in a tribute to Parton, which she wrote 100 most influential people of 2021 From Time magazine.
Cyrus wrote, “Dolly is not only my idol because of her incredible career, but she is also my idol because of her strong morals and values.” “As one of the most iconic and powerful voices in country music, she recognizes the impact of her decisions, and she leaves no one behind.”
The timing of the news is poignant as Parton is preparing to release her new family-focused album “Dolly Parton & Family: Smoky Mountain DNA – Family, Faith & Fables” in November.
The album will have a companion four-part documentary that highlights Parton’s lineage, offering “an intimate look at the family’s historic journey from the United Kingdom to present-day East Tennessee, enriched by interviews with multiple family members ” According to their website,
