In this episode of Karamo’s talk show, Tish shares a 20‑year‑long search for a brother named Lavelle, a sibling her father claimed existed. After her father’s death, she even listed Lavelle in his obituary and pursued leads through work records and finally Facebook, where she sent multiple messages that initially went unanswered. Lavelle recounts his own hidden family story: he learned at 16 that his stepfather was not his biological father, kept the secret for decades, and was surprised when Tish contacted him, eventually agreeing to meet. The two meet in person, exchange heartfelt embraces, and receive a DNA test on the show. The test reveals they are not biologically related, a result that shocks both but leads them to affirm their chosen sibling bond. Karamo, the host, guides the conversation, highlights emotional moments, and offers resources for further family‑search support. The episode explores themes of family identity, the emotional weight of long‑term searching, the role of DNA testing in confirming or challenging perceived relationships, and the decision to maintain a familial connection beyond genetics.
Chapters
My entire life, my father told me that I had a brother named Lavelle. He didn't give me any details about him, but I always knew Lavelle was out there. I had been searching for him over 20 years. When my father died in 2016, I included Lavelle in his obituary, even though I never met him. I searched for Lavelle for years, and I always hit dead ends. I thought I finally got him when I found out where he worked. Then I learned that he quit the day before. Finally, I found him on Facebook and I sent him several messages. He never responded.
Several years ago, I got this random message from this lady saying hi. And I'm like, who's this crazy person? So I ignored her. Years later, I'm on a cruise and she messaged me saying, I have something very important to tell you when you get back. Please come see me. I really thought she was crazy and I ignored her again. The third time she told me she could be my sister. That is when she definitely got my attention. I had no idea that I had siblings out there. When I was 16, my mother told me that the man who was raising me was not my biological father. For 50 years, I kept this secret from everyone in my life. I didn't even tell my siblings until Tish reached out to me last year. I am here to find out the DNA truth.
Wow, well listen everyone, we will talk to La'Belle a little bit in the show, but first everyone, please welcome Tish to the show so we can hear her side of the story. So Tish, first of all, let's talk about this t-shirt 'cause this is super cute. Yes. So you got a t-shirt that says, "He is my brother." He is. Okay, you are convinced, you know it.
Absolutely.
Amen.
My daddy told me and I believe him.
All right, so how did you, did it right? So how did you find out about La'Belle?
So my dad, he always talked about him. And I'm like, well, where is this guy at? And he's like, he didn't know. They're probably in Michigan, Detroit or something like that 'cause his mom was from there. And then Lavelle has twin sisters and I heard about them too. But my mother told me, you know, my dad takes everybody's kids. So I was on the hunt for Lavelle like, oh my goodness, like you wouldn't believe it. I'm the youngest. My sister who passed away, she was looking for a little bit and I never stopped.
So this has been a family mission for you all to find Lavelle. So this wasn't just like, oh, your father said it and then we all forgot about it. Everyone was searching, wanting Lavelle.
Yes.
Got it. Were you close to your father?
My dad was my best friend. Like I was with him everywhere. Everywhere we went, you saw my dad, you saw me.
Got it, got it, got it. And your father passed away in 2016?
Yes.
Why did you include Lavelle in the obituary?
'Cause he's my brother.
Yeah.
I spelled his name wrong. I didn't know, I didn't know, you know?
How thoughtful of you to like, even in that moment when you're grieving, to still say, my father told me this and I want this person to know they're included.
Yes. I would hate that, like me finally finding him and that happened. Yeah. And he wasn't included to feel any type of way. Or anything like that. It still like hurts and stuff, but I'm just so happy.
Wow, wow, wow, wow.
You wanna hear something crazy?
Yes.
I have twin brothers, right? Uh-huh. The one twin is best friends with Lavelle's wife's brother.
Oh wow. Wow.
And didn't even know it.
Close. That close?
Then my oldest sister, they graduated together.
Really?
On the yearbook page, they're on the same page.
What?
Yes.
That is crazy.
Crazy. I'm like, how? How did we find him?
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I don't get it.
So how did you finally find him then?
Facebook.
Facebook. Hold on, we have some of those messages. I wanna see those really quickly. Okay, you had said, "Hey bro, how you doing? Please call me when you get back." "Hello, how are you?" "I'm good, what's up?" "Do you know who I am?" "No." "I was told you're my brother." "I'm Duke's youngest daughter, Duke Eugene Duke Farley. Do you have twin sisters blank and blank and a brother named blank? Yes, I met them some years ago. I met blank some years ago. Been searching for you for a long time." Wow. So you were coming with facts.
No wonder he had to finally, you like, "I know your twins, I know this person, your mama, everybody." You like, "I searched so long, I probably even know his blood type." Yeah, okay.
He said, "I know his blood type." So what was it like meeting LaVelle for the first time?
I was so nervous. I called my older sister to go with me. And when he text, he was like, "I'm gonna be at the high school doing a track meet. Can you come up this day?" Absolutely. I'll be there. When I seen him, I was nervous 'cause it was, you know, track meets, it's crowded up there. And I'm looking like, "Is that him?" When I seen that man, I hugged him like I just seen, you know, we've been knowing each other and everything. I hugged him and she's looking at me all crazy. She wasn't excited or nothing. I'm like, I'm excited.
I found my brother.
So I was hugging him and stuff and we talked and we've been going strong ever since.
And this is in 2024?
Yep.
Well, my producer told me that there's something you want to give Lavelle. What is that?
We cremated my father and I had necklaces made and I had one made for him. So when I found him—
You are so thoughtful. Yeah. I'm in love with you. You are just, like, you are why I have hope for our world. People like you who are thoughtful, who are empathetic.
Thank you.
Yeah, you are a giver and a healer just by nature. Yeah, yeah.
Tell my husband that's okay to be that.
Yeah, it is. It is okay, okay? So do you already consider Lavelle part of your family, obviously.
Absolutely. He is my brother.
Yes, of course. He is. Well, I think it's time to hear Lavelle's side of the story. Everyone, please welcome Lavelle to the show. Come on, she's my sister. How you doing, Lavelle?
How are you?
Nice to meet you. Hey, what's up? So I see your shirt. So you believe that's your sister? Hold on, who made the shirts? I had a creative idea.
You made the shirts?
Okay.
You're a creative one.
I'm always doing too much. I'm sorry, I like to be different.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. So what was it like getting those messages on social media? Because she hit you up in 2019 and you said, "No, not today." So I thought she was crazy. Okay.
First and foremost, like why would someone just Just say hi, okay? But then she did it again. And she did it again. And she did it again, but no dialogue. You gotta have dialogue. Give me something besides a hi. And basically that was it. And then she finally said, "I have something very important to tell you." With a crazy person, you never know what might be in the back of their mind. I need to find out what's so important.
You know what I'm saying?
When she told me what was important and she said, "I might be your little sister," and I'm like, "Okay, this is different." And then she sends me the obituary, my head got to spinning. I'm like, "Wow," because I never knew who my real father was.
Because growing up, what had you been told about your father?
Well, growing up, I was really never told anything about my father 'cause my stepfather was the man in my life. So, and that's the only man that I recognize as my father.
So how did you find out that the man who raised you wasn't your biological father?
Well, so I used to live in Detroit, so I used to come down to Reading every summer and spend with my stepfather, you know? Me and my brother got into a confrontation and my stepfather stepped to me like a grown man and I'm still a kid. So I had questions about that. So I go back to Detroit and I ask my mother and she said, well, you know, he's not really your biological father. And I'm like, I'm like, "Okay." Yeah.
That's a lot to lay on a kid at 15.
But I accepted him.
Yeah.
Always, 'cause he never mistreated me. It was just an isolated incident that happened. I mean, I stayed with him till the day he died.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Did you ever have any discussion about who could have been your real father?
I was in the military. When I got out, my mother wanted to tell me. You know, after the fact that, "Lavelle, I got something to tell you, you know? I wanna tell you who your real father is." And me being who I am at 21, if he ain't got 21 years of child support so I can get started in my life, I don't need to see him. Don't need to know him or nothing.
[Speaker:KARAMO] So she tried to give you the name.
[Speaker] She tried to give me the name and once I said that, my mom was, "Okay, Lavelle, got it." [Speaker] Got it, you don't want the name.
Okay, what was it like for you meeting Tish for the first time?
So after she sent me an obituary and that, I got a little curious. She said, "Why don't we meet up?" I said, "That's a great idea, but I'm gonna make sure we meet up in a public place." Yeah, just in case you crazy. Just in case you just look crazy, right?
You smart, you smart. I can see that military training. You knew better.
That military training said, "Let's go somewhere open." So when she finally came up, I seen 7 people. Cynthia with Trish, so I knew that was her. Got it. So I walked on over and, you know, she hugged me, you know, welcomed me with open arms. It was just surreal.
Yeah, so you've been welcomed into the family?
Oh, absolutely.
That's awesome.
Made me feel so wonderful.
Have your siblings welcomed Tish?
They, they're skeptical. But once these results come down, they ain't got no choice.
You see we got this gap going on here? Look at that. We got the same guess too.
Well, let's— oh, it looks like we have a ping. It's from Tisha's stepsister Cynthia. Yes. OK.
This is really exciting to be doing this for Tish because she is absolutely elated about the possibility of Lavelle being her brother. So I'm really happy for Tish because she's very family-oriented. And I know this would mean the world to her to have not only a Another brother, but an elder brother, if you will.
Okay. Yeah, okay.
Well, Tish, your husband Kendall is in our audience, is a portrait. Kendall, I see you also got a t-shirt. By the way, you did good with the arrow pointing, 'cause you could've got that wrong, you know what I mean? We could've sat you in the wrong places, so this came out perfectly.
I watch you all the time. You watch me all the time, so you knew, okay.
So Kendall, what does this mean for your wife today?
It was a long time coming, you know what I mean? So she's very happy and the DNA test, it's already real, but I think the DNA test gonna make it official.
Got it, got it, got it. Well, Tish, are you ready to get the DNA truth?
I've been ready all my life.
All right, well Tish, come with me.
Come on.
Don't look at me.
All right, in this envelope is the DNA truth. This is your truth to open, not mine.
Love, this is for you 'cause I already know.
Okay.
Daddy told me, I believe him. Okay. And this is everything. Even though I know it's gonna say you my brother, if by chance somehow it said don't, you still gonna be my brother. We cannot take that back.
No doubt. I love you.
No doubt. I love you. I love this man before I met him. There's no going back now. And we gonna do it.
Mm-hmm. Let's do it.
Oh gosh. Lavell is not your biological brother.
Is that what it says? Oh my God.
Oh wow.
Oh wow. That don't stop no show. That don't stop no show. Don't stop no show.
It's all right, baby.
I love you like a sister. Don't worry about it.
Okay?
Don't worry about it.
It's good.
It's all good. Okay? It's all good. All good.
I'm so sorry.
Oh my God.
I'm so sorry, love.
Hey.
I'm so sorry to you as well.
Oh.
I don't think any of us were expecting that. I don't think you were expecting that either.
No.
So what are you two feeling right now in this moment? What are your thoughts?
My thoughts is to keep the relationship going like sister and brother.
Yeah, of course.
And Tish, what are you thinking right now?
I don't know.
Yeah. 'Cause your father gave you this information. Where did you get the last name from?
Just the streets. The streets. The brother Rodney that passed away came up to me with my dad and said he was my brother as well.
Do you think maybe your dad had the wrong information?
I don't know. She said it was, he was a dad, I guess he just went with it. And it was his son.
Yeah. If there is anyone else in your lives for you, now that this box has been opened, that you want to find who your biological father is, I know you had a great relationship with the man who raised you, but if you have the desire, we have a team of resources here that can help you to figure out who that is. And for you as well, if you're trying to continue this search of what your father said, we can support. But I want you to know that what I do love about what you said was that you're going to still maintain this relationship.
Yeah, absolutely.
Because the only way to grieve this properly and to feel healed by this is by doing this together. Yes. But I'm so sorry for this, okay? Listen, everyone at home, make sure to come back next time, friends, so we can keep talking and growing. I love you all.
