Miley Cyrus and Dolly Parton discover they are blood related: 'Dolly’s been like a mother to me'

Miley Cyrus has received the support of the iconic Dolly Parton throughout her career in the entertainment business, even from a young age when she was a Disney star. The two musicians have grown even closer in recent years and have spoken about their love and admiration in previous interviews. 

“Dolly’s been like a mother to me," Mile said to W Magazine earlier this year when talking about a letter the singer sent on Mother's Day. “Dolly wrote to me to say: ‘How much do I love you? As much as my heart can hold and as far as my arms can reach.’ It gets me choked up. I just love her so much. Last Christmas, she gave me a whole mannequin, done in her proportions and wearing her outfit. It’s so major.”

© Kevin Winter

And now, a new discovery has been made by 'Ancestry,' revealing that Dolly and Miley are actually blood-related. The two stars are seventh cousins, once removed, and share a common ancestor named John Brickey from Tennessee. 

© Kevin Mazur

John Brickey is Dolly's sixth great-grandfather and Miley's seventh great-grandfather. The Brickey family originated from France and emigrated to the United States in the late 1600s. Another fun fact of the discovery is that their ancestor's house was located very close to where Dollywood is. 

© NBC

“Well we are so close I wouldn't have thought we were at least third cousins, ten times removed,” Dolly said to Access Hollywood after learning the news. "I’m sure [Miley] will get a kick out of that but it doesn’t surprise me because she does feel like family.”