Two Guys Discover They’re Identical, But Their DNA Tests Show Something Strange
It's often said that people have a doppelganger, or lookalike, somewhere out there in the world. For Brady Feigl and another man with the same exact name, things started to get weird. After joining the same Texas baseball team, they realized how similar they looked. It was only a matter of time before they took a DNA test.
Introducing The First Brady
The first Brady Feigl was born in Dallas, Texas, and grew up with a natural talent for baseball.
Feigl made sure that he would earn straight A's in school and always excelled in athletics. He can remember his mother cheering him on and encouraging him to pursue a career in baseball.
The Other Brady
The next Brady Feigl was born in Houston, Texas, and grew up similarly to the first Brady. He loved playing baseball as a kid.
This Brady realized he was adopted from a young age, but always had loving and supportive parents. Unlike the first Brady, he was considered more of a class clown.
Finding Something In Common
Like every person who discovers the existence of a family they never knew about, the Brady from Houston always wondered if he had other siblings out in the world.
He was open to meeting them and curious about who they'd be.
They Bonded Over Their Shared Love
Baseball ended up being the shared passion between the two Bradys that helped them to connect and bond.
Both young men knew it was something they wanted to continue after they completed their undergraduate studies.
Off To College
The Brady from Dallas decided he wanted to study political science in college, while the Brady from Houston chose to major in accounting.
Both had their own passions outside of sport they knew they had to foster.
They Knew They Needed A Plan B
Both of the Bradys were able to get good grades in school but knew that political science and accounting were more of a backup plan if baseball fell through.
They had no idea the path their futures would take at this point.
Joining The Texas Rangers
After their time at college, the two were talented enough to join the MLB. Both Bradys were accepted to play for the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas.
As fate would have it, the two were drawn together.
Something Was Up
When the two finally joined the rest of the team for practice, the coach and other players were aware that something funny was going on.
Their reactions would begin a chain of questioning that would give the Bradys an answer they didn't know they were looking for.
The Coach Couldn't Tell Them Apart
When the coach saw both of the Bradys for the first time, he couldn't stop himself from laughing hysterically at their resemblance.
Others on the team were similarly baffled by the pair.
He Had To Come Up With A System
The coach soon realized that this could be a big problem. They both had the same name, which was very confusing.
Every time he would call one of the Bradys, the other one would show up.
The Coach Had An Idea
The Texas Rangers baseball coach had enough of trying to tell the two Bradys apart. This gave him a perfect idea of how to separate the two.
At first the Bradys thought it was a coincidence that they looked alike, but the coach suggested the two could actually be related.
They Were Compared To The Weasley Twins
Those who are familiar with the Harry Potter franchise will probably remember Ron Weasley's twin brothers Fred and George.
Rambunctious and memorable, these two famous twins became the Bradys' calling cards.
Houston Brady's Class Clown Roots Only Encouraged The Comparison
The red-head twins from the story had a striking resemblance to the Bradys.
Since the Brady from Houston was more of a class clown, it made them even more similar to the Weasley twins.
A Joke Gone Too Far
Being two similar-looking men on a baseball team made both the Bradys subject to lots of ridicule from their teammates.
While it was funny the first few times, both of the Bradys were starting to become irritated by all of the teasing. One of their teammates even blurted out that the two must have the same mother.
Talking It Through
While the jokes made by their teammates were a little annoying, the two Bradys thought it was time to talk about their resemblance to one another.
They realized there could be some truth to them.
Doubt Creeps In
Naturally the Bradys decided to take stock of what could potentially be family resemblances. First, they noticed their several similarities. They were the same height, they both wore glasses, and shared a good sense of humor.
However, there were some differences.
The Bradys Weren't Completely Identical
While the Bradys had many huge similarities, there were also some contrasting differences.
The Brady from Houston had blue eyes, but the Brady from Dallas had hazel eyes. They soon realized that the Brady from Dallas had a mom with blue eyes. Since the Brady from Houston was adopted, it meant that there was a possibility they shared DNA.
It Is Possible For One Sibling To Have Hazel Eyes While The Other Has Blue
Since the genes that give someone blue or green eyes are both recessive, both parents can carry them even if only one of the parents has light colored eyes.
They realized it was completely possible that they were related even with different eye colors.
A Breakthrough Revelation
Being the same height, wearing glasses, and their shared sense of humor could've been a coincidence. Then, the Bradys realized something important to their story.
They both had the same surgical procedure done on their elbows. Not only did they share similar medical history, but the surgery was done by the exact same doctor.
Their Doctor Was Confused
Dr. Dave Andrews had the pleasure of performing the elbow surgery on both of the Bradys, but it became very confusing.
He ended up calling the Brady from Houston thinking it was the Brady from Dallas. After getting the call, the Brady from Houston realized there was someone nearby who looked just like him.
Their Story Started Going Viral
This isn't something that happens everyday, so the Bradys took to television to share their story. They gave an interview to Inside Edition and people immediately started reacting.
Then, viewers reached out to the Bradys on social media with stories about meeting their long-lost twin. It was a lot for the two of them to handle.
Raising Money For A DNA Test
After their story blew up on television and online, people from around the country started going to Texas Rangers games to get a glimpse of the Bradys.
Their fans were so devoted to them that they wanted to create a Kickstarter to raise funds for the two to take a DNA test.
The First Step
The Kickstarter goal was met quickly, which allowed the Bradys to take their first steps for their DNA test.
They spit into tubes to capture their saliva, covered them in a plastic seal, and sent them off to a laboratory to be examined by professionals. Now, all they could do was wait.
A Quick Trip To Ellis Island
Ellis Island was where many immigrants first came to America during the years of 1892 to 1954.
One of the Bradys went there to learn more about his German ancestors.
Could They Both Have German Ancestry?
He knew that Feigl was a German name, so he was curious to know if the other Brady had German ancestry as well.
If they shared similar lineage that would bring them both closer to getting the confirmation they needed.
Getting The DNA Results
It was finally time for the Bradys to get their ancestry DNA results back from the laboratory. Both were a bit nervous, but ready to get some definite answers.
Both of the Bradys saw that they had the exact same amount of German ancestry at 53 percent. Now, it was time to see if they were in fact twins.
The Results Weren't What They Expected
While the two Bradys had the same amount of German ancestry, that's the only area where their results were the same.
The Brady from Houston was two percent Irish and Scottish, but the Brady from Dallas had 10 percent Irish and Scottish ancestry. The pair were not twins after all.
They're Still Great Friends
While both of the men were taken aback by the results, they didn't let it get in the way of their lasting friendship.
The Bradys still go by the nicknames of Fred and George due to their resemblance to the Weasley twins. This is how their coach tells them apart. While the two aren't blood-related, they act as though they are brothers.
A Successful Business Man And Father Of Three
At 55-years-old, Richard Mason was a successful businessman living in the UK. One of his biggest ventures was co-founding a popular website, MoneySupermarket.com, which many people use to compare prices while shopping.
Richard and his wife, Kate, met while they were both working at a bank. They fell in love, got married, and had three sons. Richard worked hard and lived a good life. He never could have expected everything to fall apart so quickly.
The Couple Divorced As The Kids Left The House
Richard and his wife Kate had three boys together: Will, and twins Ed and Joel. When Will was 23-years-old and the twins were 19, Richard and Kate made the tough decision to separate.
While their marriage was no longer serving them, they both remained close to their boys and knew that they were doing what was best for the family. With all three of their sons over the age of 18, the couple officially divorced in early 2008.
Kate Pushed For More Money In The Divorce
While the couple mutually agreed to divorce, once the proceedings began, Kate kept pushing for Richard to pay more money. They had agreed in the financial settlement that Kate would receive a $5 million lump sum.
The $5 million Richard would be paying also included money for private school for all three of their sons. He didn't understand why Kate wanted more money. He said that his ex-wife "hounded me for years… and tried to make me pay more."
Eight Years Later, The Truth Is Revealed
Although the couple had been divorced since 2008, it wasn't until 2016 that Richard learned that his ex-wife had been keeping a major secret from him for their entire marriage.
What’s worse is that she didn’t admit her wrongdoings. No, he found out about Kate’s massive secret after going to see the doctor for a routine health check-up. While he knew she was after his money, he never expected to learn that she had been deceiving him for so long.
Richard Was Diagnosed With Cystic Fibrosis
At 55-years-old, Richard went to the doctor for a routine health check-up. He thought that he would be in and out in a short matter of time, but the doctor decided to run some extra tests while he was there.
Richard was taken aback when the doctor delivered the hard news that he had cystic fibrosis. He was not expecting anything out of the ordinary to come from the doctor appointment and this was pretty tough news to swallow.
The Disease Is Genetic
Being diagnosed with cystic fibrosis was a scary realization for Richard at this point in his life. His sister had been diagnosed with the same disease, so he knew there was a chance he'd have it too.
Cystic fibrosis causes frequent lung infections which leads to damaged lungs and decreased lung capacity, making it hard to breathe. Being a genetic disease, Richard was immediately worried that he had passed it on to his three sons.
The Doctor Said That His Sons Wouldn't Have It
Richard then worried that he had passed on the genes for cystic fibrosis to his three sons. It's a tough question for a parent to ask a doctor. Richard was incredibly worried that one of his kids would have to face the same diagnosis.
As he sat there, trying to process all of the information he was being given, and figuring out the important questions to ask the doctor, he asked about his sons.
Men With Cystic Fibrosis Are Infertile
Then, the doctor delivered the news that Richard wasn't expecting at all. Richard recalls the life-changing conversation, "When the discussion then turned to fertility, he said, 'Look, yourself and Emma (Richard’s second wife) you know- you’re gonna have difficulty having children because you are, as a man with cystic fibrosis, infertile.'"
At that point, Richard thought that he might have received an incorrect diagnosis of having cystic fibrosis. After all, he had three healthy sons.
The Diagnosis Must Be Wrong
Richard vocalized his thought to his doctor. "Well," he said, “you must have the diagnosis wrong because I've already got three boys.” Clearly, he would need to do more testing, right?
He recalls in an interview, “I actually felt pleased to be able to tell him this, because in my mind it proved his diagnosis was wrong.” The doctor’s eyes grew wide and he and Richard knew what he was going to say next.
The Diagnosis Was Correct. His Ex-Wife Had Been Lying.
Through the doctor's silence, Richard realized what he was going to say. The cystic fibrosis diagnosis was correct. It was Richard’s ex-wife who was lying. It felt like his entire world was crashing down.
Not only had Richard received terrible news concerning his health, but the 55-year-old also learned on the same day that his three sons weren’t biologically his. For all this time, Kate had been lying to Richard. But now he knew the truth.
He Began Putting Things Together
Learning this while sitting at the doctor's office, realizations flashed through Richard’s head. He began thinking of all of the times that Kate could have been lying to him, and sneaking off with another man.
He thought back to times that should have been a red flag. But Richard had pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind, trusting that his wife was telling him the truth. How could she do this?
Had He Ignored The Red Flags?
Before his cystic fibrosis diagnosis, Richard had never considered that his ex-wife could have been having an affair during their marriage. Now, looking back on it, it was entirely possible that this was all going on under his nose.
Richard was a hard-working, successful businessman, often working late nights. So he didn't think anything of it when Kate would occasionally have a work-related matter come up. Like that time Kate stayed in London for a night during a "work trip" after she said that her flight had been canceled.
People Didn't Think The Twins Looked Like Him
Before that day at the doctor's office, Richard had never considered that his boys wouldn’t be his own. Now that he was being told he was infertile, thoughts started raising through his head. He remembered people commenting on how much the twins looked like his ex-wife Kate when they were born, but not like Richard.
At the time, he brushed off the comments. But now, they seemed to be louder than ever.
Out Of Nowhere, Kate Wanted The Kids To Be Jewish
When Kate became pregnant with the couple's first child, they had been married for seven years. During that time, Kate never mentioned wanting to teach their future kids Judaism, so Richard found it surprising that she brought it up when she was pregnant with Will.
Instead of teaching the kids Christianity and getting them baptized, as both Richard and Kate had been, she instead met with a Rabbi and taught the kids about Judaism. They also ended up giving all three of their children Jewish middle names.
He Began Thinking Of Who The Boys Looked Like
So many thoughts were running through Richard's head as he began putting the pieces of the past together. Then he began thinking about who the boys looked like, other than Kate.
He recognized they shared similarities to someone that he knew, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. Was he really certain that Kate had been having an affair with another man all this time? Richard knew that he had to get to the bottom of it.
He Suspected Who It Was
One he had a minute to process everything, he narrowed it down to who he believed his ex-wife was having an affair with during their marriage. The first clue was that she was probably cheating on him while she was away on her business trips.
That meant that she could be cheating with someone at her work. Richard thought of one man, a co-worker of Kate's, who he thought the boys resembled. Then, the last piece of the puzzle came together when he remembered that the man was Jewish.
Richard Sent An Email To Kate, Pressing Her To Confess
Being that the couple was no longer married, Richard wasn't able to come home and confront Kate. He decided to send his ex-wife an email, explaining what he had learned at the doctor’s office that day, and demanding that she provide some answers.
He boldly wrote, "I went to the Liverpool Chest Hospital today… to finally receive my diagnosis that I have cystic fibrosis. In their experience, they have never had a male with CF who has fathered a child let alone three. It is 98% certain that I am not the father of any children."
When He Didn't Hear Back, He Sent Off Another Email
Being handed his diagnosis was tough enough. Now left wondering if his three kids were biologically his, Richard just wanted the truth. He felt that Kate owed him that. After she didn't reply to the first email, Richard sent a second.
He wrote, "I was hoping that you could relieve me of further indignity by letting me know now if I am the father. I am happy to go along with your advice as to how best tell the boys. But, if you force me to go through these extra tests then I shall be telling them as I wish."
She Denied It
Kate replied back to Richard's second email. In her reply, she denied that she had an affair during their marriage, and that there was any chance that the boys were biologically anyone but his.
She wrote, "Of course the boys are yours, no matter what the science might suggest." As Richard had stated, if she didn’t tell him the truth, he would go through with the test, and confront his sons about it. After reading Kate’s reply, he didn’t believe her. And so, he decided to go through with the tests.
Richard Called His Eldest Son
Richard decided that he would contact his oldest son, Will, about the matter. He was nearly certain that he was not the 23-year-old's biological father. He needed a DNA test to be sure. He also needed to let his sons know about his cystic fibrosis diagnosis. And just like had been dealt to him, Richard was going to have both conversations on the same day.
Richard recalls of his conversation with Will, "I told him I’d just been diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, which he took surprisingly calmly."
Richard Tells Will His Suspicions
During the same conversation with his son Will, Richard recalls, "And I said, 'Yes but one of the things that I've just been told is that it is extremely unlikely that someone with cystic fibrosis could father a child.'"
Then, during the hardest conversation that Richard has ever had to have, something unexpected happened. Richard said, “He said, ‘I’m already ahead of you, Dad. You’re saying you’re probably not my father?'”
Richard Told Him Everything
"It would have been the hardest sentence to utter, and he did it for me," Richard said of his conversation with Will. He expressed that he would always be his 'dad' even if he wasn’t biologically related to Will.
No one ever dreams of having that conversation with a parent when you’re 23-years-old. It was a heavy topic. Richard says, “It was very emotional but I was also very angry.”
It Was Hurtful To Learn He Didn't Have Any Biological Kids
For 23 years, Richard believed that he had children. He thought that he had passed down his genes to the next generation, and that his three sons carried his bloodline. Learning the truth was shocking.
Richard was also extremely hurt with this fact because his cystic fibrosis diagnosis meant that he might not have as much time left as he thought he did. Having to have both conversations at the same time was a lot to handle.
Will Confronted His Mom
After speaking with Richard, Will confronted his mom Kate about what he had learned. He asked her if she was sure that Richard was his father. Although she lied to Richard, she didn't lie to Will. Kate confessed that she had been having an affair.
She admitted the affair started during the couple’s marriage, and that it was likely Will’s biological father was someone other than who he thought was his dad. Richard’s suspicions of Kate having an affair had been true after all.
The Affair Lasted For 20 Years
Finally, Kate had admitted that she had an affair. The affair started after they had gotten married– so who was it? She admitted that she had met him the same way that she had met Richard, working at a bank.
Just as Richard thought, the man Kate had been seeing was someone she worked with at Barclays bank. For more than two decades she kept her affair a secret from everyone.
She Said She Still Believed Richard Was Their Father
Although Kate admitted to having an affair with someone that she worked with, she insisted that the boys were Richard's biological sons. Of course, he didn’t believe her and decided to go through with the tests.
At this point, Richard felt as though his entire life had been a lie. His ex-wife had been living a double life and leading him to believe that the three boys he raised for all of their lives were his. He needed to know the absolute truth.
Richard Goes Through With The Tests
In order to sort everything out, Richard had to take several tests. Under the guidance of Roger Terrell, a paternity fraud expert, Richard first took tests to check his fertility levels. The test results confirmed that Richard was unable to father children.
Then, already fearing the worst, he would need to submit a DNA test. He would also need to get DNA samples from his sons, to see if they matched up.
He's Not The Father Of The Twins
His two youngest boys, 19-year-old twins Ed and Joel, agreed to take the DNA tests to see if Richard was their biological father. Once again confirming Richard's suspicions, the boys’ DNA tests showed that Richard was not their father.
It was the ultimate proof that Kate had been carrying on a long affair during their marriage, and lied to Richard about the kids being his. Richard was devastated to learn that the twins weren’t his biological sons.
Will Refused To Take The Test
Will was the first of the three sons to learn that Richard might not be his biological father. The twins were the first to take the DNA test, and Will heard the results. But when Richard and the paternity fraud expert reached out to Will to take the DNA test, he refused.
Will said, "As far as I'm concerned, he’s my Dad and that’s that." Clearly, Richard had a positive impact on Will’s life, and Will was proud to be able to call Richard his dad.
Will Told Richard Not To Sue Their Mom
Richard would have had a better case for taking legal action against Kate if he had Will's DNA sample, but there was something else. Richard recalls his conversation with Will: "My eldest son told me, 'Dad, if you sue Mum, I will never speak to you again.'"
Richard went through with the lawsuit against Kate and admits that Will stayed true to his word, and hasn’t spoken to him since.
The Twins Still Support Their Dad
Although Richard's oldest son is angry about the lawsuit, twins Ed and Joel are on good terms with their Dad. Richard recalls a letter they wrote him: "Dad, as I explained from the beginning you would never not be dad to me regardless of all of this."
He continued, “Of course I’ll stay in touch, that will never change… I’m always here for you too and you will always be Dad. Love you.”
Richard Won The Paternal Fraud Case
When all was said and done, Richard won the paternal fraud lawsuit against Kate. The court ordered her to pay over $300,000. Part of the agreement that was settled in court was that the father of the boys shall not be revealed.
Richard believed that the boys have a right to know who their biological father is, but agreed to the terms. He's currently undergoing treatment for cystic fibrosis and has reported that his health is improving.
