Joe Manganiello Learns He's Part-Black And Is Actually Not A Manganiello After DNA Testing

Joe Manganiello recently discovered that he's 7% Sub-Saharan African, which has completely changed his understanding of himself. The actor's DNA reportedly has no matches with the Manganiello name, and his father's DNA was traced to a Black man. 

Manganiello's DNA was traced to his great-grandfather, Plato Turner, who was born in Africa and became a child slave. He said the discovery has changed his sense of identity, and now he sees himself "clearly for the first time." 

The actor is part of PBS's "Finding Your Roots" series. Other celebrities have also participated in the genealogy show, including Edward Norton, Julia Roberts, and Claire Danes.

Read on to find out more.

During a clip of his episode of the PBS docuseries "Finding Your Roots," shared with Rolling Stone (Per Insider) Manganiello and host Henry Louis Gates delved into his ancestry. Gates revealed that the actor is actually 7% Sub-Saharan African, which means someone in his family was once a slave. Manganiello also learned that he has no DNA matches with anyone from the Manganiello family.

The discovery means the "Magic Mike XXL" star isn't actually related to the man he's thought was his grandfather all his life, Emilio Manganiello. The actor's father also got his DNA tested, which revealed that his great-grandparents were actually Nellie Alton, a white woman, and William Henry Cutler, a Black man.

During the episode, Manganiello learned some shocking truths about his maternal side. Gates discovered that his great-grandmother Terviz "Rose" Darakjian was an Armenian refugee whose husband and seven of her eight kids were killed by Turks. Darakjian eventually ended up in a refugee camp and was later impregnated by a German officer named Karl Wilhelm Beutinger.

Due to the shocking magnitude of the show's revelations, it has an "ethics protocol," which allows the celebrity participants to opt out of the episode. The show then would keep their ancestry discovery private from the world. Gates revealed to Rolling Stone that there have been "a couple of people that have withdrawn" from their episodes over the years.

He said, "We give them the option of getting out of the series if they want. Then nobody will know except me and a couple of producers." However, Manganiello turned down the option, choosing to share his family secrets with the world. The actor said, "There are things that make sense now. I'm descended from survivors."

The first two episodes of this season of "Finding Your Roots" also featured celebrities like Edward Norton, Julia Roberts, and Claire Danes. Norton discovered he's directly descended from Pocahontas, Roberts learned her last name is actually Mitchell, and Danes found out her ancestor was branded a witch during the Salem Witch Trials and killed.

According to Rolling Stone, Manganiello's real great-grandparents, Cutler and Alton, were married in 1887, long before interracial marriage was legalized in America. His fifth great-grandfather, Plato Turner, was also reportedly an African child slave brought to the US during the peak of slavery.

Later in his life, Turner served as a soldier during the Revolutionary War, fighting for the Continental Army. During the episode, Manganiello spoke about Turner's lengthy journey coming "from West Africa in chains, on a ship, and to come to the United States and earn your freedom."

The "True Blood" actor also pointed out how "backward" it is that Turner was a soldier under the lie that "all men are created equal," only for slavery to finally be abolished 100 years later through a Civil War.

Manganiello talked about how learning the truth of his ancestry has changed his sense of identity. From believing as a child that his father was a "full-blooded Italian" to now discovering that he has African ancestry. He said their family always thought that their Black ancestry could be traced to them being Sicilian.

Manganiello said, "All of a sudden, I can see myself clearly for the first time." He also admitted that he'd always felt like he was looking in a mirror that was "completely out of focus" until now. 

The actor's "Finding Your Roots" episode premieres on PBS on February 9.