Patricia Lofton was born into precarious circumstances, but little did she know that the truth behind her family tree would later shake the world. Lofton's adoptive desire to return to his birth parents became such an important part of his life that he couldn't ignore it. When she finally found out about her birth mother, she also found out that her sister is one of the most famous women in the world. Lofton's name would also soon be appearing on the covers of magazines around the world. Read on to learn how discovering his famous sister changed the course of his life forever.
1. Living in well-being
When Patricia Lofton's mom found out she was pregnant, she had enough to do. She was on welfare and struggling to care for her existing children; having someone else just wasn't an option. He had to think quickly to find a way out of the situation.
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The struggling mother worked hard to get off welfare and decided raising Patricia Lofton in poverty was unacceptable. When it came down to it, there was only one other option he could handle. His decision would change the course of Patricia's life forever.
2. Die Adoption
It was one of the toughest decisions Patricia Lofton's mother would ever make, but she was determined to give her youngest daughter a better life. When Patricia was born, her mother had already made a decision: she would put her up for adoption.
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Some would say that Patricia's life in her youth wasn't necessarily better than it could have been as her mother had hoped. She lived in many foster homes until she was seven years old when she was finally adopted. Despite the challenges, Patricia would have one of the most extraordinary life stories in recent memory. Read on to find out exactly what happened.
3. A mistake?
Even after her adoption, Patricia Lofton went through great difficulties. Her childhood was "difficult," she said, as she never felt like she fit in with her adoptive family. He longed to be reunited with his birth mother, even though he didn't know who she was.
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This longing would not go away so quickly. Patricia always had the strangest feeling that her mother had no intention of giving her away. He wanted to know why he felt this way, there had to be a reason. She would soon find out.
4. A curious mind
As Patricia Lofton grew up, she continued to wonder about her biological parents and whether she had siblings. what were you Why did you hand it over? This curiosity only increased with age. She just felt she was destined to know the answers to those questions.
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Eventually, she would discover something about her birth family that would leave her speechless. But first he would face a challenge of his own. In fact, she had to face a challenge surprisingly similar to that of her birth mother before her.
5. Do it right
Before most people finished high school and entered adulthood, Patricia became pregnant with a girl. However, unlike her mother, Patricia decided that she did not want to give up on her daughter. She didn't want to make what she felt was a devastating mistake.
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And it was anything but an easy conclusion. Patricia wasn't married when she had her baby Aquarius. Her child must have increased her desire to meet her birth mother because what she did next would lead to the discovery of her life.
6. First try
By the time Patricia Lofton turned 20, she couldn't hold back her curiosity. She had to know at least something about her birth parents, and she would take it upon herself to do something about it. Feeling determined, she began reviewing her adoption records.
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However, she quickly gave up the search as she tried to juggle multiple responsibilities in her personal life around work and raising her daughter. But soon he would do it again, and what he would learn would make headlines around the world.
7. Another child
When Patricia Lofton's daughter turned six, she was pregnant with her second child. Due to her background, it was important to Patricia to keep the family together. When her first son André was born, she raised him with her daughter Aquarius.
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Patricia started working two jobs to take care of her two children. She wouldn't make the same mistake her parents made. Patricia put her search for her parents on hold until something truly incredible would happen two decades later.
8. Back to search
Patricia Lofton focused on raising her children in her 20s and 30s and put the search for their biological parents on hold. It was important to her, but not at the expense of raising her children. But at forty, that lingering feeling returned.
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Patricia felt emptiness: she needed to know who her parents were, and she wasn't going to wait any longer. He accessed his adoption records to look up anything he could find. The first order of business? find your mother
9. Your mother's cold shoulder
Patricia Lofton searched her adoption records for her birth mother, whose name she did not yet know. But his mother turned her back on him. Perhaps out of shame, Patricia's birth mother wanted nothing to do with her.
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But sometimes in life, fate takes over. That happened the day Patrícia was rejected by her mother. Something amazing would happen that day. He would know who his biological mother is, yes. But he would also learn something strange and soon it would shake the world.
10. Known Data
What happened on the same day that Patricia Lofton was rejected by her mother must have been fate. He was watching the news on TV when he heard something very strange. It was the story of a woman named Vernita Lee.
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Lee spoke about his son Jeffrey, who died in 1989, and his daughter Pat, who also died in 2003. Patricia Lofton knew about these dates! She knew who these people were. Soon he would learn why it all seemed so familiar.
11. Compliance Data
The dates and locations of Jeffrey and Pat's deaths matched exactly the information about Patricia's birth family that she saw in her adoption records. "The hair on the back of my neck stood on end," Patricia recalled the incident. "I said, 'No, that can't be'."
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But that's not all. There was a reason this particular story was in the news: someone important was part of the family. Patricia didn't know it yet, but that someone turned out to be one of the most famous women in the world. But who was she?
12. Vernita does not move
Patricia's son Andre knew his mother was up to something, so he sought out Vernita's information. She found that everything her mom heard on the show worked: the dates, the locations, everything! He had to report again.
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Patricia kept trying to contact Vernita Lee, and on more than one occasion. When that didn't work, he asked his pastor to get in touch with Lee's pastor. Lee didn't move. Then Patricia and André noticed something else: Patricia's sister. She was the missing piece of the puzzle.
13. How can this be?
After careful analysis of Vernita's background, another name for Patricia and her son came to mind. That name was Oprah Winfrey. That's right, Oprah was listed as one of Vernita Lee's daughters. Was Patricia related to media mogul Oprah Winfrey?
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She was sure she would find out, with or without Vernita's help. But contrary to what some would expect from a woman who has just discovered that she is related to a celebrity, Patrícia didn't go to the press. She had a better idea.
14. Hardworking and determined
Using the cover of a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Patricia Lofton discovered a Wisconsin restaurant owned by Oprah Winfrey's niece. This facility, he decided, was the key to learning the truth about his family tree. But what should she do?
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He visited the restaurant to solve the mystery. At first, Winfrey's niece was skeptical. Until Patricia showed her relatives the adoption papers. She and Winfrey must be related, Patricia told her. Winfrey's niece was in shock. But what happened next?
15. DNA-Tests
Oprah Winfrey's niece looked through the adoption papers and couldn't believe her eyes. Still clueless, Patricia persuaded her to take her to a DNA test to put an end to the doubt. Patrícia knew she was related to the media mogul, but she would get proof of it.
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Patricia Lofton was right: the results were positive. As it turns out, his quest for the truth paid off. It was then that she discovered she was related to one of the biggest pop culture icons of the century. But the story certainly didn't end there.
16. Time to involve Oprah
Shocking news broke out in the Winfrey family after Patricia Lofton's incredible discovery. Several relatives spoke via email about the new addition to the family. However, they kept it to themselves. Who would tell Oprah?
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From the start, Patricia felt it was Vernita Lee's job to tell the world about her daughter. Still, selling her story to the press was out of the question for her: she would remain faithful to her newfound sister. The rest of the family agreed. However, they decided to tell Oprah. But how would she react?
17. Oprah compares herself to her mother
When Patricia Lofton's story reached Oprah Winfrey, the media mogul was intrigued. She had brought together so many members of her family on national television over the years, and now it was her turn. could it be true Did he really have a long-lost half-sister?
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At this point, Oprah Winfrey was investigating himself. He needed to speak to his mother. was it true She asked him, but Vernita Lee denied everything. Soon Oprah would discover the truth, and it would come from an unlikely source.
18. Lights, Camera, Action
On a cold October day, Oprah Winery was in the studio getting ready to hit the stage. That's when Oprah recalled asking her assistant to investigate Patricia Lofton's claims.
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Before taking the stage, he called his assistant. It was the moment of truth: he would finally unveil the great secret of his family tree. He looked at the assistant and asked: Was Patricia Lofton really your sister?
19. Indisputable Facts
Oprah Winfrey's assistant looked her boss in the eye and said firmly, Yes. Patricia Lofton was her long-lost half-sister and was put up for adoption by her mother, Vernita Lee. Winfrey couldn't believe what she was hearing. Why would her mother lie to her?
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He confronted his mother with the undeniable facts and finally admitted the truth. Vernita had Patricia in 1963, Patricia was Oprah's half sister and she was put up for adoption, she confessed everything. Oprah Winfrey was shocked: she had to meet her sister immediately.
20. Tension in the air
Before Patricia and Oprah Winfrey met, however, the former had some unfinished business. He would be reaching out to his birth mother for the third time in his life, and this time Vernita Lee would agree to meet her in person.
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Why did she agree? It probably had to do with Oprah's involvement. Anyway, Patricia and Vernita would finally meet face to face for the first time since birth. It was an exciting encounter, but not as glamorous as what is to come.
21. The encounter of a lifetime
The date of her life would be on Thanksgiving. Patricia and Oprah Winfrey would drive to her mother's house in Milwaukee, and the two would meet for the first time. Patricia was so excited to meet her long-lost sister that she got there first.
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Oprah immediately noticed something about Patricia. You look like Pat! Winfrey screamed, referring to her late sister Pat. The two were in shock, looking at each other and choking on hugs. But the story didn't end there.
22. A lifetime of debating
When Patricia met her sister, the two spent the afternoon getting to know each other. They had a lifetime to argue, it seemed. "Was aAmadoWait a minute," Winfrey said of the experience, referring to a film in which a daughter comes back from the dead.
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But Oprah Winfrey valued Patricia Lofton for more than just being her sister. As you'll soon find out, there was something about this whole story that caught Winfrey's attention and ended up favoring Lofton.
23. A great introduction
Just months after Patricia Lofton met Oprah Winfrey and Vernita Lee on Thanksgiving, Patricia would be part of an experience she would never forget. Oprah Winfrey really introduced her new sister to the world on The Oprah Winfrey Show.
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The whole journey turned out to be a wild ride for Patricia, and it certainly didn't end after she discovered her older sister. But there was more to come: Oprah had more in store for her sister. How did Patricia deserve all this?
24. What did Patricia do?
The whole experience was a dream come true for Patricia Lofton. Not only did she meet her mother and discover that her sister was one of the most famous women in the world, but she also gained her new sister's trust.
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The media mogul was incredibly impressed with her sister. There was something Patricia did, or rather didn't do, that won Winfrey's favor. The best part? Patricia didn't think about anything, she just saw that it was the right thing. What has he done?
25. A faithful sister
Oprah Winfrey was hugely impressed with her new sister. Apparently, Patricia showed a loyalty to Winfrey that few people in the world have by refusing to sell her story to the press. "There were a couple of times that I was somewhere and wasn't sold," Winfrey told ABC News.
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"There were few occasions when you could bring someone new into your life without them betraying you, using you, or taking advantage of you in some way," he continued. But amidst all the excitement, there were still questions.
26. Why the lies?
The newly reunited sisters were still confused by their mother's actions. When Vernita Lee gave Patricia Lofton up for adoption in 1963, she didn't tell anyone. What's more, she kept it a secret her whole life and didn't even tell her children that they had a half-sister.
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Even when confronted with it several times, she denied everything until the evidence was in front of her. Why did he do it? Why did you initially reject Patricia's request to speak? And why did he deny everything when Oprah asked him? The chilling truth would soon be out.
27. 'Something Terrible'
In a recorded interviewVernita Leeanswered these questions. "I thought what he did was horrible," Lee said, reiterating that he felt he would not have been able to care for an extra child and get out of unemployment had he stayed with Patricia would.
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Still, she added, "I was thinking about the baby. I went back to look for her and was told she was gone. Then, at that very moment, she also said something that touched Patricia Lofton's heart. It was something I hadn't heard before.
28. A beautiful girl
During the same interview, Vernita Lee said something that brought Patricia to tears. He referred to her as a "cute girl". It was something Patricia Lofton wasn't used to hearing and it really touched her, especially considering it came from her birth mother.
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"I'm just trying to take it all in now because I never heard he was a pretty baby," she said, fighting back tears. But that was not all. Patricia would soon have the surprise of her life. It would be something he had wanted all his life.
29. Perks of being Oprah Winfrey's sister
Just three years after the world was introducedOprah Winfreytalk show, Patricia Lofton's life would change forever. It had already changed, yes, but this time the change would come in the form of something more concrete.
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In 2014, Patricia Lofton's newfound celebrity sister bought her a home in Wisconsin for half a million dollars. He also began giving her pocket money so she could go back to college and pursue her dream of becoming a social worker. But that's not all.
30. A special guest
Patricia began her studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She was so grateful to her sister for making this possible, for helping her change her life so drastically and fulfill her dreams. But Oprah would surprise her one last time.
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This exciting surprise came at Patricia Lofton's college graduation. When Patricia finally pursued her dream of graduating from college at the age of 53, she saw someone in the crowd. Guess who it was? There was the sister who encouraged her. He even tweeted about it.
While celebrating good times together, they also find comfort in each other during difficult times, such as when the following happened.
31. Vernita Lee passes
Vernita Lee, the mother of Oprah Winfrey and Patricia Lofton, the key to solving the entire Lofton mystery, sadly passed away on Thanksgiving 2018 at her home in Milwaukee. He was 83 years old. In true Oprah style, Winfrey honored her mother with a tribute accompanied by a photo of family members surrounding the beautiful Lee.
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Thank you all for your kind words and condolences on the death of my mother, Vernita Lee. It is a great comfort to our family to know that they lived well and are at peace now," Oprah Winfrey posted on Instagram. Thanksgiving weekend was full of ups and downs, as Winfrey hosted a big dinner at her home on the day her mother died.
Sources:persons,Jezebel,daily mail