10 Celebrities You Didn’t Know Have Black Heritage

No one would guess the singer’s father is Black, and she even has Hungarian blood in her veins. She shared that as a child, strangers often asked in the park if everything was okay because it seemed unusual to see a white girl with a Black man.

Fall Out Boy’s frontman and Ashlee Simpson’s ex-husband is also mixed-race: his father has English and German roots, and his mother is Jamaican. Pete is vegan and passionately supports animal rights and various charities, raising awareness for Ugandan refugee children and teen suicide prevention.

Her father is Black and her mother Irish, and Mariah’s mixed heritage made her childhood challenging. “I didn’t belong anywhere because I was a strange mix, a so-called ‘mulatto,’ which is a terrible word since it originally means mule.”

Few know the "Prison Break" star’s father is Black, but when he grows his hair out, his Jamaican roots become clear. In 2003, he went through a tough time and turned to food for comfort, leading to unflattering tabloid photos. He says it hurt, but he has since overcome those struggles, especially after coming out in 2013.

Her father is the legendary musician Quincy Jones, and her mother is a white Jewish woman. Rashida once said it was easier for her than for her sister, who looks more mixed-race. “Kidada identifies as Black because everyone sees her that way. I can’t help that I have straight hair and light eyes and people see me as white, but I felt guilty for not facing the same challenges as my sister.”

The "Flashdance" star’s mixed heritage is not widely known. She lost her Black father at age nine and felt excluded at school because of her background. Her career has thrived for decades, and she’s a passionate supporter of the LGBTQ community.

Slash has Black and English roots. He says he never cared about others’ skin color, but he was singled out at school because of his background. “As a kid, it was tough—others tried to box me in and made me feel my Black heritage. Then I started making music, and it didn’t matter anymore. I never wanted to define myself by being Black or white.”

The actor’s striking looks come from his Black and Samoan parents. When asked on Twitter about his identity, he replied, “I’m glad this came up because I can honestly say both. I’m equally proud to be Black and Samoan.”

This beautiful mixed-race woman was the first "Miss Black America," yet faced criticism for her blue eyes and light skin, accused of not being “Black enough.” Vanessa ignored the critics, first topping charts with “Save the Best for Last,” then shining on the big screen alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in "Eraser." Younger fans may know her from the hit TV series "Desperate Housewives."

The action star never met his biological father and was raised by his white mother and Black stepfather. He describes himself as “ethnically ambiguous” but proudly identifies as a person of color.