Honestly, if she was raised by a man who gave her bear hugs and valued her, she is lucky. I was raised by my biological father and he gave us none of that.

She looks nothing like him, but the love he gave her is what truly matters

I found out at the age 63 through AncestryDNA who my father is. He is 88 and lives 2 hrs away from me. I’ve meet him, cousins and a sister. It’s like I’ve known him forever. It was a shock for both of us, he knew nothing about me and I was told someone else was my dad. There’s more to the story but that’s the jist of it.

I also found out at age 62 that my birth certificate father was not my biological father. I had always struggled to see any resemblance to him but as soon as I saw a picture of my bio father I knew who I looked like. Quite a shock that takes time to process...don't do a DNA test if you cannot handle what you might find out.

Fathers can be anyone. Daddies take care of you and love you no matter what.

She had a father that she loved who took care of her, people don't even get that from their biological father. She's fortunate to have had that life and people who loved her. Blood, DNA really doesn't matter.

This happened to me my dad is not my dad ,.....my family said my thinking was odd that it was no big deal..... im happy that listening to this that I am normal in my feelings .... now just experiencing identity issues ...oddly I felt like an outcast in my life and family it makes sense now I believe souls are connected and your higher consious knows all

Everyone DESERVES to know their biological parents. My Mother states I’m not her biological child. Considering she hates me, I consider this a good thing.

She had a very charmed life with her family of Shapiro. They exposed her to travel etc. The person who raised you is your parent, blood does not necessary mean that you will be treated like family.

Your father that you call Dad is your father.

"He feels like the country I'm from"...profound words, I'm hoping for that too one day. Bless you for sharing ♥️

Gosh, one can tell very quickly that Dani looks English/Celtic! I’ve known several women from the UK/Ireland who look very very similar to her!! Plus, it was pretty obvious that she looked nothing like the father who raised her, but Dani seemed to have a wonderful relationship with him!!

I love (sarcasm) how “journalists” know the precise moments to interrupt profound, personal experience-telling in order to halt the flow and the message.

I found out I was adopted at 45. I always suspected I was adopted because I didn’t look much like either of my parents. I met my birthmother and became friends with her, my birth father died. Family is more about who loves you and took care of you, less about blood. My parents thought they couldn’t have kids when I was adopted. My 3 younger sisters came along in quick succession. I’m glad we didn’t know growing up, it might have divided us. Still, I should have been told before I married and had kids. You need to know your inherited medical issues, if known. Fortunately my kids are healthy, but I was concerned about issues in my adopted family that were not applicable to me.

So glad to hear it had a happy ending for both father and daughter. Family is always nature, nurture and culture. All that matters is that this child had a great family life growing up with a family who adores her.

I am from Dublin and she looks unbelievably Irish to me. It’s almost hard to believe that she ever believed she was 100% Eastern European ashkenazi jewish.

Through Ancestry, I found out that my grandmother cheated on her husband, and my dad's biological father was his mothers family doctor. I have uncles, aunts, and cousins that I have never even met before. I wish my grandmother would've been honest from the get-go. Her husband was horrible to my dad. Abusive. Never gave him the time of day. Looking at my dad, and his biological father, it's obvious that they are father and son. I can understand what this lady is going through.

Dani, bless your heart you had a father that truly loved you. What a wonderful feeling I’m sure, you are very gracious. I lost my father at 5 yrs old, my mother remarried a man who I was told is now my new father and never mention your real father ever again in the house. As a child you do what you are told and I was happy to “supposedly “ now have a father, step-father doesn’t matter if your are truly loved. Like yourself. Your Dad sounds wonderful. I wanted a father so badly at the age of 8 now. When my mother and father had a child of their own, I realized at about 16 my life in the house along my older siblings was a farse. You go along though thinking this can’t be happening, my mother went along with it as well, we were the step-kids in fact, we didn’t matter. When my Mom died, we were told never to come back to the home my Mom bought pre marriage, where we grew up from the age of 5 and up. The truth was their black and white. The grandchildren never to see the home ever. One thing my mother did do for us, was make it very clear to be on our own at an early age, told us to be independent and not expect any support or guidance in our lives. Thank God my biological Dad was a vet and I went to college on the GI bill, made my own life at 17, same with my older siblings..we got the message we weren’t part of that house so many times. What I realized is my mother was a sick person, many demons to turn her back on her children. She married someone just as sick. And now their daughter is alone with no connection to any of her siblings, it was and still is all about her. Could write a book about our family, its a sad story but in the end I came out ahead!! My Dad died fighting for this country as a Marine and am proud he laid down his life for our freedoms and what he did for his children and grandchildren. The true meaning of a man and a loving father. God bless you.

That story is amazing and awesome.

Oh my god...I could have seen that in the pictures. It was obvious.

I'm just looking at how gorgeous she is,jeeze,at 54, girly takes care of herself

Oh my goodness! What a shock!!!!! She’s so brave!!!!!

At least she knew love and security from her Dad/A man💖but it's still a shocker to accept.

She looks EXACTLY what her DNA indicated.

You were a lucky little girl to have such a loving Dad!

You can be the odd ball, with no connections, in your own biological family. I know from experience. Love the ones who truly love you.

✋🏼👊🏼😀❤️ Interesting story. Namaste Friends 🙏

She looks western European.

Her dad knew

I'm blonde and fair skinned. What do you mean I'm not 100% eastern European and Askanazi jew??????

Biology has very little to do with being a parent.

I'm confused, she said she was so shocked to find out he wasn't her father, but then said that her mother had "slipped and told her" many years prior (when she was still alive) that she had been conceived artificially in an institution. ? Maybe thought her father was still her father?

What a wonderful story. I just finished your book, Dani and it was awesome! I’m an adoptee who has searched and found. Your book was recommended by a close friend. Loved your book!

Like old saying goes, "Mama's baby, Daddy's maybe."

He is the father that loved and raised her her whole life and that is a wonderful thing.. Maybe the Parents wanted another child but there was some fertility issues..So they did certain things to accomplish their mutual goal..

Same happened to me with my DNA test. I am still trying to find my biological father.

Same exact thing happened to me

Dani rocks- her story is amazing but the podcast she started is a must. It’s called Family Secrets. You go, Dani!

So! Can’t change it !live with it!

She said her mother let it slip some time before all of this that she was conceived by artificial insemination and where it was done. So, hasn't she known all along that her father wasn't her biological father? Why did it come as a surprise? Or is she surprised that the donor wasn't the same ancestry as her parents? I'm confused.

Sounds as if she was told the truth long ago.

I wouldn't want to know if my dad was not my biological father. Sometimes things are better left alone.

You can obviously see they were not related but did it matter?! Having a person not related to you love you as his own is a wonderful thing.

Mama's baby----Daddy's maybe.

Why it’s almost as if “Family Values” go beyond a single physical act!

I am reading the book after listening her interview on NPR. I am eager to know what is going to happen when she meets her biological father. It is suspensfull.

She absolutely doesn't look 100% Ashkenazi.

Interesting. Pretty much the same thing happened to me. Perhaps I should write a short story of my experience for no other reason than to bring closure to all the feelings that this kind of discovery brings you. This kind of discovery does change you. It is just letting it change you in a good way.

This is a very fancy episode of Maury. This happens to so many people that this isn't even impressive. I'm gonna go back to paternity court lol

My mother’s father died when she was very young in the 60s. She did not know much about except that he was from the south. My mom has always said she just wants some answers so she can feel at peace about him. Last year I did a dna test and the first 4 relatives I was linked to was his relatives. One of them was able to confirm he was from the south and another was related to his mother.

Wanted and loved. Twice. I was raised in the Florida. Methodist children s home. Not loved or wanted. The parents of the kids at church and school warned their kids even spanked their kids for playing or talking to us.

People love whoever is in their life, but also want to know who they are.

She looks very north-western European.

Heeeeey😁 Amazing story! Wake up every AM with TODAY! I should get paid for commercial or in this case plugging

call judge Lake!!!! now

It never occurred to her or her family that she shared absolutely no resemblance whatsoever to her father?

I was older than this lady when I found out the very same thing, yes the rug pulled from under you is very apt, this was way before folk took DNA tests I found this out about myself. It was very upsetting and took me a long time to speak about it without getting upset. and now I want to take a DNA to see if I have siblings, as I was brought up as an only child. 🇬🇧

I always tell people to be ready to be surprised ....

She has exact same heritage as my children.

She doesn't look at all Eastern European. At. All.

Cut short just when it began to get interesting.

Really cold tone from the interviewers.

Captions need a human spellchecker!!

was adopted and really lucky

It's best to be truthful and honest with children about who their biological parents are. Because sooner or later it seems like they always find out and then it's hard for them to cope with it. I think they can cope better if they know. At a young age as soon as they're able to understand that. To tell them the truth.

SHE AND PEGGY NOONAN, RONALD REAGAN'S SPEECH WRITER, SHARE A GREAT AND UNCANNY RESEMBLANCE!!! A DNA ANALYSIS MIGHT BE WORTH IT FOR THE TWO!!!

TRUTH IS THE "SIMPLER TIMES" HAD THE SAME ISSUE BUT LIED ABOUT THEM ALL... IMAGINE IF DNA TESTING WAS AVAILABLE 100'S OF YRS AGO? FAMILIES WOULDN'T BE FAMILIES.

This is not an uncommon story.

In life, what we believe about ourselves is not true. We've been conditioned to behave or act a certain way by our parents, family, religion, or society.

Think of the father that was robbed of never knowing his daughter

I saw another story of a Jewish woman who was surprised at her paternity, but her skin color went the other way… she was half African descent. Why there was a surprise is beyond me.

I wrote this comment when she was on the Today Show with Steve Lickteig. I’m hoping maybe she’ll see it: I like him, his story is interesting, certainly emotional, obviously there are people who can identify with it very closely; mostly though he’s just a very likable guy. Her on the other hand- not so much. She’s just not relatable. I was adopted when I was 3 months old. I was born in South Korea, I lived with a foster family and was never in an orphanage which surprisingly makes it much more difficult to try and get any information about my birth. I don’t think Dani realizes how lucky she and others like her are to have still been either raised with her biological family, or have been able to easily track their roots. I’m a big believer in “my pain is my pain, your pain is your pain”; so I’m not diminishing those stories and life experiences. I’m just saying that I wish I was able to so easily be able to find out who I am as well.

There is a old saying be careful for what you are looking for cause you may not like find.....

Which DNA test did she use?

Same situation here. Should I wrote a book?

I’m not getting a dna test

ALWAYS WELL-SPOKEN SMART AND SELF-CONFIDENT. "Dani" was a gorgeous child attendee of an exclusive "day-school". She was there with the "Weekend at Bernies" Andrew McCarthy as well as the children of the heads of banks & fortune 500 Companies like Merril/Lynch. The children of Judges & Senators, presidential advisors & cabinet members. Yes, it was a tragedy when at 23 years old the car accident happened to her family. Before the accident, her parents could afford & did give her every opportunity . . . . she was hooked-up from the start-up.

I want to do the Ancestory DNA test...Just to know more about my lineage..We never knew anything about my Mom's Fathers side of the Family.. Just recently found out what their names are and that they lived in Nashville Tennessee according to old census reports.

I agree but unfortunately there are so many more hidden secrets than not. So many are now learning that their parent isn't & that they had been lied to for some many many years as my cousin of 73 years...with no one to ask what had taken place..did he know about me...etc.

Bombshell? More a big surprise. No big deal IMO.

Not now

These DNA test are going to be tearing families apart.

Sometimes finding out who your bio parents are isn’t a good thing.

Honestly, she doesn’t look like her parents , specially to her father However, the love she got from him goes beyond genes

I'm glad that she had a very loving Father and Mother but people deserve to know the truth about their biological parents. If we didn't have DNA testing, you could possibly end up marrying or having children with a half-sibling. People don't think about the consequences of their actions or how it can affect the future of their families.

One thing I’ve learned about Dani while listening to her interview people on her podcast, she loves talking about herself and not much about who she’s interviewing

She explained it briefly, so she finds out her father was not her father, guesses he was a medical student, then finds him on KZfaq, wow!! It seems a little far fetched but I'm sure the details are in the book.

i always felt i was the milkman's kid. we have been conditioned to believe in a american family myth. if we have loving parents, siblings, and family does it really matter ?? the trauma of discover could have been avoided if the parents were up front and open about it when she was a child....i have told my children they may have a half-brother in utah when they were in their early teens. i fear for that child if he was in a similar situation as dani shapiro

I feel very shallow, and I'm not ignoring the story, but who is that attractive woman who is one of the hosts of the show?

She doesn't look Jewish at all. I have a hard time believing that wasn't a curiosity for her before this. I hope her journey will be a blessing in the end for her.

So quick question, why does it matter who fathered you if you weren't mistreated by the one who raised you?

Does anyone see her necklace?

A father is one who loves you not one who had you.

My story also 😢

Why are we talking about this lady. Who is she?

She looks English. And Askenazjews are GERMAN, not Eatern European. Ashkenazi means German in Hebrew. They were ditched from Germanand Holland to the East.

Titus 3:9 “But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.” King James Version (KJV)

I'm confused... The focus is solely on her father. What about her mother? Is she her biological mother? Anyway her mother had told her that she was conceived by AI so it should have rung a bell.

So what?

I am scared to death to take one of these tests! I truly want to meet some of my fathers family... ugghhhhh!