Disney Channel Alum Dylan Sprouse Reveals He and Twin Brother Cole Are 'Children of Incest': 'A Lot of Stuff Started to Make Sense'
Dylan Sprouse made a shocking discovery about his family history.
Oct. 20 2026, Published 5:20 p.m. ET
Dylan Sprouse says a genealogy search revealed that his parents’ family lines crossed generations before they married, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The actor shared the discovery on the Wildmen podcast, where he also recounted his twin brother Cole Sprouse's blunt reaction..
A Family History that Crossed Paths
Dylan and Cole Sprouse were born in Arezzo, Italy, on August 4, 1992.
Dylan said he and Cole learned their parents’ family lines after he used a genealogy service to research their ancestry.
"I called Cole, I showed him a picture, I was like, 'Dude, I just found out some f---ing crazy s---,'" Dylan said during the podcast. Cole's response was immediate, according to Dylan: "Not looking at that." He closed the picture and hung up.
Dylan said his research showed relatives on both sides of the family traveled to California during the Gold Rush era. One branch, he said, included relatives who found gold and helped bring other family members from North Carolina to California.
The two family lines later joined through marriage in the late 1800s, Dylan said. They diverged over time, then came together again through his parents, Melanie and Matthew Sprouse.
Dylan described the discovery as an unexpected result of comparing family histories with relatives he had found through the service. He said his father's side of the family was "pretty fractured," and the genealogy search helped him connect with relatives he had never met.
Dylan Sprouse Jokes about the Twins’ Ancestry
Dylan Sprouse played Zack, while Cole played Cody on 'The Suite Life.'
The Suite Life of Zack & Cody alum said he initially thought twins in the family came from his mother’s side. However, he discovered that his father’s uncles were identical twins, adding to a history that included seven sets of twins across four generations.
"The reason why we have a lot of twins is it’s the same family!" Dylan, 34, joked.
Dylan said the family connections helped explain why twins appeared repeatedly in the family tree. He joked that he does not "have webbed toes," but said he believes the family lines crossed at some point.
He also shared a story about an aunt who was one of a pair of twins. Dylan noted she was believed to have absorbed her twin in the womb and that a cyst removed from her shoulder contained hair and teeth.
"Long story short, Cole and I are children of incest," Dylan explained, using the phrase jokingly to describe the distant family connection he found.
The account does not indicate that Dylan and Cole's parents knew about the earlier connection before they married. Dylan said they had no idea.
About Dylan and Cole's Sprouse Life Beyond Work
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Both brothers graduated from New York University in 2015.
Dylan and Cole, both known for starring in the Disney Channel series The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, have often discussed their close relationship and shared childhood in interviews and on podcasts.
Dylan married model and actress Barbara Palvin in 2023. The couple recently welcomed their first child, a daughter named Sylvie.
Palvin also walked in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show on October 18, about six weeks after the birth.
