LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 4: Steven Tyler attends the 5th Annual Jam For Janie GRAMMY Awards Viewing Party at Hollywood Palladium on February 4, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. Photo: Elyse Jankowski (Getty Images)
Fans of the hit PBS series “Finding Your Roots” have seen the shocking episodes in which a little digging revealed that some white stars — including Carly Simon and Joe Manganiello — have African ancestry.
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Now, the internet is reacting to a recently resurfaced clip of rocker Steven Tyler learning that he has some Black members on his family tree as well. The Aerosmith lead singer got the shocking news from his daughter, actress Liv Tyler, in an episode of the British series, “Who Do You Think You Are?”
In the episode, Liv tells her father that while researching his maternal ancestry, she discovered her four times great grandfather Robert Elliot was part African American.
A visibly excited Tyler told his daughter he’d always felt a connection with Black people.
“I knew it. Thank you, God!” he replied. “I always felt akin to Black people. I had no idea, but I felt it my whole life.”
Liv went on to tell her dad that he likely inherited his musical talent from that side of the family as well.
“He was a drummer,” Liv said.
While Liv and Steven were taken aback by the news, most of the chatter on TikTok was that Black people were not surprised, especially looking at Tyler’s full lips.
“It’s the lips!” wrote one person in the comments.
Others said Steven’s Black roots offer the perfect explanation for why the 76-year-old has aged so well.
“You see how well he’s aged! That Black don’t crack!” wrote one commenter.
For the most part, Black people seem to be content to claim Steven Tyler as one of their own.
“We all knew it. 💯❤️Welcome to the family,” wrote someone.
