I Wasn't Adopted & You Are NOT My Sisters! | KARAMO

Please tell me, why are you here today?

I'm here to prove that I'm not Lisa and Connie's sister. It all started with—

You said not.

Not.

Not their sister.

Not.

Okay.

It all started, I received a Facebook message from this strange woman. I wasn't friends with her, never heard of her before in my life. She just went on and on, "Hey, how you doing? I'm your sister. I would really love to meet you." It's 8 of us including myself, you would be the 9th sibling. And she just went on and on and I was like, spam.

Spam.

6 months or so, she hit me up again. Hey, I'm your sister. Same story. I'm your sister. I really want to meet you. I know you're my sister. I just know you are.

Wow.

I just ignored her once again.

Did you ever end up meeting with her?

I did. So we decided to meet, we sat and talked. I let her talk 'cause I was just sitting there like, this woman is crazy. Ain't no way I can be her sister. So I just let her talk, it go on and on and on. So again, after we left, I waited some time, I just kept ignoring her. I just could not get up the nerve to just put this all together. This woman had to be crazy. Ain't no way.

Yeah.

No way I'm your sister.

So did you ever connect with them again? After you met?

I did. Uh-huh, why? I did. I end up meeting her again and like I said, I tried to get a feel for her, tried to just give her a chance to hear her out to put together the pieces myself. But again, this woman is crazy. There's no way.

So you're not feeling no connection? You're not seeing any resemblance?

I'm not.

There's nothing there that you're just like, this ain't it.

This is not it.

How old were you when all this happened?

I was 15. 10 years ago, so I had to be about—

Oh, this was 10 years ago?

10 years ago. 10 years ago.

10 years ago she popped up?

10 years she popped up.

Wow. And now 10 years later you on my stage.

I'm here.

Wow, that is wild. Because usually when we hear these stories, it's like, I just got a call a week ago, a month ago, a year ago. This is a decade in the making.

It is.

Did you have any idea that you might be adopted?

No. No idea. I've never heard of this. I grew up single, only child in the home. I'm pretty sure I would've heard of this or had some information about this.

So when this all happened, did you tell your mom?

No, to this day, my mom does not know.

So your mother doesn't even know you're here?

She does not know. I could not bear the feeling of hurting my mom with false information.

Yeah, of course.

And then that would just hurt her and break her heart. I couldn't do that.

But also 10 years of you dealing with this on your own. Yes. Because there's really no one you can talk to outside of that side that's saying that they're with you, but that you don't believe 'em.

I don't. And just to hear somebody come out the blue with that, like I said, on top of you thinking they're crazy, but in the back of your mind you're still, well, what if? There is a could be, a maybe.

So this woman is saying that you were adopted by your father or by your mother.

Yes.

And that she's your actual real siblings.

Yes.

Ooh, well there's a lot to unpack here. So what did they tell you about your alleged mother?

They told me that she was a great mom. She had some trouble with criminals and drug stuff and mental stuff. It was really brief 'cause they grew up in the system, they say themselves, and how she just passed me along for adoption. So I had no recollection of her.

So this would be your biological mother?

Correct.

Wow.

Correct.

So why do you think they'd make this up?

Just because, like I said before, it's including, they say, as myself, it'll be 9 of us. So they say that I'm the long-lost missing piece. And I'm sorry, I just, they don't have no proof. I just—

There's no proof?

There's no proof. I just don't think that's true.

So how will you feel if you find out these women are your sister?

I don't even know how to describe it, but I would just feel like it would be a relief, honestly, because like I said, this has been going on 10 years and they have steady been harassing, saying I'm your sister, I'm your sister, you are our sister. And it would just be a relief.

Well, you said also the word harassing. So if they aren't your sisters, what are you gonna do?

Genuinely, I'll still just continue to connect with them. I couldn't be able to connect with them.

So you would still have a connection with them? I would. Even if you find out they aren't?

Right, I still have connection with them, but—

Lisa is the one who first reached out to Gloria. So everyone, please help me welcome Lisa to the show to hear her side of the story. Hi, Lisa.

Hi, how are you?

Thank you for being here. So do you think that she is your sister?

Yes, I do.

And why?

Well, for one, she looks like us and I've always felt in my heart that you were my sister.

That's not enough proof.

I know that this is hard for you and it's hard for me too, but we grew up in the system knowing about her and she never knew anything about us. And I grew up knowing her name was Gloria Veronica Chambers. So thank God for the internet because without that I would've never found her.

That's not enough proof.

Well, I'm sorry and I know this is a lot for you, but we're gonna get to the bottom of it.

Did you grow up with your mom?

No, I grew up in foster care.

You grew up in foster care.

We all didn't grow up in the same household. Some of us was split up, some of us was adopted out, as for Gloria, but—

And so how did you find out about Gloria? How did you hear her name? Was it your mother who told you?

No, growing up in the foster system, they always kept a portfolio, so to speak, of the kids.

Yes.

The siblings that came along while we was in care. And her name was actually Gloria Veronica Chambers.

There's no proof of that.

No proof of that.

So. Is that the name you were raised as?

No.

That's not the name you were raised as?

No proof of that, no.

This makes more sense now. Is there any chance, and I just gotta ask this, that you could have the wrong person? You said the only thing you had is a name.

Oh no, no, no, without a shadow of a doubt, this is my sister.

Okay.

She has a name. That's not enough proof. A lot of Glorias. No.

You're right.

My executive producer's name is Gloria. Gloria, okay. I was like, well, listen, Lisa, your sister Connie is also here. So everyone help me welcome Connie to the show. So Gloria, would you be the baby? Would she be the baby? Yes. From what she says, yes. Okay, yes. Welcome to the show. Thank you for being here. So did you know about Gloria?

I heard about Gloria from my mom.

From your mom? Mm-hmm. Okay. And what did your mom tell you?

I was in a group home. I got a phone call from her saying that I have a sister named Gloria.

Mm-hmm.

I didn't believe her. So some time passed when I was in that group home, I got a letter in the mail. And in the letter, it had a picture of her.

Oh, so you got a picture of Gloria?

I had.

You had one?

Yes.

Okay. And did you have a good relationship with your mom?

In the beginning.

And you and Lisa were both in foster care, and I'm assuming that's because your mother, there was an addiction going on? Yes. Okay then. And do you know all your other siblings?

Yes.

And are you close? Do you have a relationship?

We have a relationship and we try to do a little bonding. Everybody's like, distant with where they stay at, their living arrangements, but we try to, you know, talk as much as we can.

Got it. So do you want Gloria to be your sister, Connie?

I do.

You do?

I do.

Yeah.

But I'm not.

I do.

I'm not. You said you're not.

I'm not.

How will you feel if she's not your sibling?

I'm gonna still love her the same.

You still love her? Mm-hmm. I think all of us feel the same thing. It's like, I feel your conviction. Both of you have this conviction like, yes, this is my sister. I see why after 10 years you're like, you kind of engage because they're like determined that you're the sister. But then on the other side, it's also this piece of like, the only two pieces of proof you have is a name and a photo that you saw when you were a kid.

That I've never seen.

That you've never seen. Gloria, if these are your sisters, what will you say to your mom?

I honestly don't know what I'll say to my mom. Me and my mom, it always been me and my mom. So we're very close. That's why I said I don't know nothing else besides my mom. That's my mom.

Have you ever seen your birth certificate?

Yes, and it has my birth name on it.

It has your birth name on it and it has your mother's name on it?

Yes, not the name they're talking about.

So your birth certificate has your mother's name on it?

Correct.

Got it. Okay, well, I think it's time to unlock the DNA truth. In this envelope is the DNA truth that you have been waiting 10 years for.

Yes.

That you have been questioning if these women are your sisters.

They can't be.

Yeah, well, this is not my truth to open, this is yours.

I just, it just can't be 'cause all I know is my mom. I don't, y'all just can't be it.

We understand that. We understand that, but at the end of the day, you are my sister.

I'm not. You have shown me.

I actually got a name to put with a face.

No proof. Where's the proof?

I'm sorry, we couldn't, we didn't have anything else to go on because like she said, her birth certificate.

That I, all I just have what y'all say. Y'all haven't showed me anything. Oh gosh, it's so hard to even open this. But this is gonna prove that I'm not your sister.

It is gonna prove that you are.

Gloria, Connie, and Lisa are your biological sisters.

Oh my gosh!

I told you!

I told you! I told you! I told you!

I told you!

I told you. Don't cry.

You can still—

It's gonna be okay. Nobody would've told me though. It's okay.

You can still have a relationship with your mom 'cause we still have one with our foster mom too.

Yes.

So that's gonna never change.

And we like her so much.

So this is what I need y'all to understand right now is this. As much as this is, here you go, this is a moment because you've gotten answers, you also have to grieve an identity and the fact that adults have not given you the proper information. And so this is what we're seeing right here.

And at the end of the day, she was only protecting me. I know. She's my mom too and I hate it. And like I felt the same way she felt, like we was cheating.

Do you feel betrayed?

I don't know how I feel. I just feel misplaced. I just feel, I won't say betrayed, just lied to. Somebody really should've told me 'cause 35 years for this to go on, no. This is crazy.

I will tell you this. I think the first step, and if you want support with this, I can help you. In talking to your mom because you need to be able to hear your mom, understand why she made this choice. But also as you're doing this, you also have sisters now. And I'm the— you have an opportunity as you start to grieve, as you start to get answers, to know that you can build a relationship with these women who have clearly— I think the beauty of this is that I've seen many family dynamics where the siblings don't want the other person. They don't want them. They're rejecting them. And they are embracing you and they're open for you, which means that as you're processing, you have two older sisters that said, we're gonna be here with you and process with you. And there's something beautiful about that. Is there anything you wanna say to your sisters now that you know for sure they are your sisters?

Well, I'm glad to know I have sisters and an extended family to turn to when I do need to talk to someone. I'm sorry that I was so distant and unbelieving. I just want y'all to understand.

It's okay. You had every right to be. You grew up not knowing about none of us.

I still just want to apologize and say I'm sorry.

It's okay.

You still my sister. But also, I just want to say a moment, good job, big sis.

Thank you.

Because as the oldest sibling, for you to be able to hold on to that smile to have a small piece of information and never let it go and be able to reunite your family is a beautiful thing. There's a gift inside of you and you as well for y'all to be able to do this because many other people would've just given up and said, I don't have any information. And you never allowed that to deter you from making sure you had the family and the bond that you know you deserve. Well, listen, again, if you need any support talking to your mother, and figuring out how to have this conversation, I'm here for you in support. And I wish you all the best of luck. I really do. Congratulations on finding answers and getting your proof. Seriously. All right, everyone, thank you for being with us. Make sure to come back next time, friends, so we can keep talking and growing. I love you all.