Identical
While they awaited the DNA test results, Brady Feigl and Brady Feigl exchanged anxious glances. Looking at the two men was like looking in a mirror since they were highly similar. They shared the same name and appeared to be twins, so how could they not have grown up together?
Both men were in a state of anxiety when they received the results. Over the years, what kind of lies had their parents told them?
Brady 1
Brady Feigl (who we’ll refer to as Brady 1 to minimize any confusion) was from Dallas, Texas. For as long as he could remember, he’d always loved baseball.
He was tall with an athletic build and was also a straight-A student. His mother loved to boast about him to anyone who would listen. Brady had always loved and trusted his parents… until he met the other Brady.
Brady 2
Brady Fiegl (Brady 2) was the class clown and a fun-loving guy. He grew up in Houston, Texas. Like Brady 1, he had a passion for baseball from an early age. His doting parents had adopted him when he was just a baby, and they gave him everything he asked for and more.
Brady had always wondered about his life before he was adopted. Who were his birth parents? Did he have brothers and sisters? But when he laid eyes on Brady 1, he just knew they had to be connected.
A Mutual Passion
Both Bradys continued to play baseball into their teenage years and beyond. They both got accepted to the University of Texas in Arlington - Brady 1 majored in political science, and Brady 2 majored in accountancy.
Even though they were both studying hard and getting good grades, they still made time for their real passion: baseball. Both Bradys went on to play for the Texas Rangers in Arlington, and that’s when they met.
Identical
At first, their coach thought it was hilarious that he had two players who he couldn’t tell apart, but it wasn’t long before coaching the two identical redheads became a problem.
Every time he called for one Brady, both would reply. Now, the joke wasn’t just confusing, it was getting extremely annoying. What coach Johnson said next would change both of the Bradys’ lives.
No Coincidence
Coach Johnson, becoming increasingly frustrated with the unusual situation, said: “you guys really have to figure out if you’re related or not because you’re both equally annoying!”
The two Bradys looked at one another and had an unsettling thought: maybe there was more to them just looking alike and having the same name. It couldn’t just be a coincidence...could it?
Jokes
The Bradys’ baseball team loved to joke about the redheaded “twins.” They began to call them Fred and George - after Ron Weasley’s twin redheaded brothers in Harry Potter - to try and differentiate them.
Because Brady 2 was the class clown of the pair, the Bradys played up the joke, which everyone found hilarious. That was until the joke became too serious for comfort.
Too Close For Comfort
The Fred and George jokes continued among their teammates, but the Bradys grew more and more uncomfortable.
They began to give serious consideration to the idea that they may actually be related. When one teammate joked that the pair shared the same mom, the joke began to go too far. They had to find out the truth.
Long-Lost Brothers?
The two Bradys sat down together after their teammate’s cutting jokes and discussed the possibility that they might actually be brothers or even twins. They were, after all, the same height, they both wore glasses, and even had a similar sense of humor.
Their only difference was their eye color, Brady 2’s eyes were blue, and Brady 1’s were hazel. However, Brady 2 was adopted, and Brady 1’s mother had blue eyes. When they were offered an opportunity to see if their parents had lied, they jumped at it.
The Similarities Don’t End
In 2018, Inside Edition caught wind of the doppelgangers and arranged an interview with them.
During the interview, the Bradys revealed yet another mind-blowing commonality: they both had the same surgical procedure on their elbows, and it was even performed by the same doctor! In fact, that was when the Bradys found out about each other.
The Same Procedure
The surgeon who performed the surgery on both Bradys, Dr. Dave Andrews, was confused by the doppelgangers. He called Brady 2, thinking he was Brady 1. "The way we found out about it actually (was through) Dr. Andrews' office,' explained Brady 2.
"He's the guy who (performed) both of our surgeries.” So, Brady 2 already knew that there was someone out there who had the same name as him before the pair met.
Becoming Famous
“I was probably six or seven months out of surgery, and their office called our trainer and said, 'Hey, when's Brady reporting for surgery? Is he getting down here tomorrow?' He was like, 'He had it six months ago. What are you talking about?'" Brady 2 explained.
And when Inside Edition aired the story of the two Bradys, people lost their minds.
Causing A Stir
Now, everyone knew about the two Bradys and all their similarities. “The week that it hit TV, my phone blew up,” Brady 2 said. The constant notifications he was getting started to become so intrusive that had to put it on airplane mode for eight hours at a time.
Still, the buzz on social media grew and grew. Everyone insisted that “they had to be related” or were even “long-lost twins who were separated at birth.”
Help From Fans
The two matching players had become fan favorites with the Texas Rangers fans and everyone who saw their interview. Their fans were so obsessed with the possibility that the two were related that they set up a Kickstarter to pay for a DNA test.
The Kickstarter reached its target, and the players were approached about doing the test. The two men agreed to it and knew that this was the defining moment of their relationship.
The Moment Everyone Had Been Waiting For
The two Bradys had created such a stir that Inside Edition returned to interview them for the second time in a follow-up segment.
The cameras rolled as they captured the moment the Bradys placed their saliva samples in the test tubes and put them back into the plastic seal they had arrived in. It was a tense moment.
German Ancestry
In the interview, one of the Bradys explained that he had been to Ellis Island and had looked their shared name up. It turned out that some Fiegels had come to America from Germany, so it was very likely that they had descended from that German family.
But that revelation hadn’t led them any closer to the truth. The two Bradys were more curious now than ever before.
The Results
Brady and Brady gave saliva samples, and their tests were sent away for analysis. They knew that the results would be life-changing. They had been dogged by rumors of being twins separated at birth for years.
They were visibly nervous as they read the first results. They couldn’t believe it. The results showed them that they did have many similarities.
The DNA Test
When they looked through their ancestry DNA, one of the Bradys revealed the top result of his ancestry, and the other Brady was shocked.
The two Feigl’s could see that they both had the exact same amount of Germanic ancestry at 53% each. That was most likely where their matching surname came from. So, were they twins?
Differences
However, the similarities stopped at the Bradys’ shared German ancestry. Brady 2 had 2% Irish/Scottish ancestry, while Brady 1 had 10%. So, they finally knew that they definitely were not twins.
The two players were taken aback by the results but were glad their parents hadn’t lied to them. However, they were still connected in one very important way.
Connected Forever
The two men have become very close friends throughout the years and still have the nicknames Fred and George, which their coach now uses to differentiate them. Their experience of having a DNA test together has bonded them forever.
Despite not actually being blood-related, the redheaded baseball stars still consider themselves to be brothers.
Art Lovers
But the Brady's weren't the only people to have their paths collide in the most unexpected way and discover they had a lot in common.
Two unsuspecting art lovers would form a friendship online after realizing they had so much in common regarding looks and likes. But their world would be turned upside down when they decided to take a DNA test.
A Quiet Evening
This particular story occurred in Los Angeles, California, where a tattoo artist was relaxing in his apartment after a long day at work. He'd only hoped to catch up on his favorite tv series with his girlfriend when his phone started ringing out of nowhere.
Seeing it was his best friend, he quickly answered. But what his friend would share would leave him speechless.
Just A Call
Davis Figueroa was your everyday twenty-nine-year-old tattoo artist looking to make a name for himself in the cultural melting pot of the City of Angels.
After dedicating years of his life to learning fine arts and translating it into the tattoo scene, Davis was well on his way to making his dream come true. He had no idea how one phone call would change his life.
He's Excellent At What He Does
Davis had established a loyal online following by posting his work on Instagram. He was not only good at what he did but highly sought after by tattoo enthusiasts all over the country.
But that evening, he only wanted to forget about his career and take a breather. But his best friend called, telling him to check an Instagram account.
A Lover Of Art
Not knowing what to expect, Davis did as his best friend commanded, meeting with an account filled to the brim with fine arts paintings and sculptures.
As a lover of art, Davis was taken aback by the sheer mastery of what he was seeing. But his mouth fell open when he saw who the account belonged to.
A Painter From New York
The man in the pictures, a painter from New York City, bore a striking resemblance to Davis. Everything was identical, from his face, body silhouette, hairstyle, and tattoos, to his taste in art, music, and food.
Davis couldn't understand it. He sent the man a message, and the man, Eric, was just as astonished by Davis's Instagram profile. By the end of that week, the two had become best friends.
Getting To Know Each Other
Davis and Eric got to know each other more, even introducing themselves to their friends over the internet. But with each passing day, they would start wondering if they were related or if they were only similar in taste and likes.
Everything changed one day. The two started talking about their parentage. The more they shared, the more they realized they needed to take a DNA test.
Touring The Country
Eric was the one who brought up the conversation. He'd heard Davis mention that his late dad was a drummer in a band in the 80s and loved touring the country in his Harley Davidson.
Davis found the story odd because his mom always talked about his dad playing in a band before he settled down. But one piece of information would bring everything to light.
Talking About His Dad
Eric shared that he had never met his dad, who was never in the picture since his birth. He also shared that his mom rarely talked about him. That alone made Davis ask Eric for a DNA test.
The two met in New York that summer and carried out the test. Fear coursed through Davis's veins throughout the procedure as he wondered what would happen if Eric was his brother. What would their parents say about the matter?
Already Brothers
The DNA results came out a week after the two men took the test. They sat in the doctor's office as he opened the envelope and read the result.
It turns out that Davis and Eric were half-brothers living on different coasts. Funny enough, the news didn't come as a surprise to both of them. It only brought them closer as they were already brothers, even without a piece of paper confirming it. Disclaimer: To protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblances to actual events, places, or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.