While everyone is praying for Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords‘ speedy recovery, I can tell you that, yes, she does have a Hollywood connection.
Gabrielle Giffords‘ grandmother and Gwyneth Paltrow‘s late grandfather were brother and sister. That makes Gabrielle’s father, Spencer Giffords, and Gwyneth’s late director-producer father, Bruce Paltrow, first cousins.
Technically, Gabrielle and Gwyneth would be first cousins once removed. Or maybe second cousins.
In any case, it’s quite a family of achievers– a Congresswoman and an Oscar winner — nothing to sneeze at, as they say.
Giffords, like Gwyneth, is half Jewish on her father’s side. She’s also the first Jewish congresswoman from Arizona.
