Sara Haines got an unexpected (and emotional) surprise on a recent live segment of ABC’s The View: she learned she’s biologically related to two former U.S. presidents—and the revelation hit her immediately. (EW.com)
The moment came during a conversation tied to her appearance on PBS’s genealogy series Finding Your Roots, where host Henry Louis Gates Jr. walked Haines through her family tree and delivered the headline-making discovery: Haines is connected to President John Adams and President John Quincy Adams (John Adams’ son). (EW.com)
The reveal: John Adams and John Quincy Adams
According to Gates, Haines is John Adams’ third cousin, nine times removed—a link that also connects her to John Quincy Adams. The announcement prompted laughter in the studio, but Haines quickly turned tearful as she processed what she’d just learned. (EW.com)
At one point, she jokingly celebrated the result with a triumphant, “I won!” before wiping away tears—equal parts stunned and proud. (People.com)
“Deeply American”: tracing the family line back centuries
Gates traced Haines’ lineage back to Henry Adams, her 11th great-grandfather, who emigrated from England to Massachusetts—placing her family story right in the early chapters of colonial America. (EW.com)
The segment also highlighted Haines’ Revolutionary-era roots: Gates revealed her sixth-great-grandfather, David Hottenstein, served in a patriot militia during the Revolutionary War—a detail that made Haines beam as she declared, “I am deeply American.” (People.com)
A rare “Finding Your Roots” moment
Gates noted that verified connections like this are unusual—especially being tied to two presidents in one family line—making the on-air reveal feel even bigger for Haines. (EW.com)
