Is He Really My Brother, Or Am I Being Scammed? | KARAMO

What do you think about right now?

Growing up, my daddy didn't have nothing to do with me. I didn't know nothing about my dad at all. Excuse me. When I grew up, I became a police officer. I was working a desk and I wound up looking up my daddy's name. I found some addresses with his name. I was sitting outside a couple of these addresses wondering, you know, to see if somebody was gonna walk out the door or pull up in the driveway. Would my dad walk out to see what was going on? 'Cause I was in a police vehicle. But he never came. I found out possibly I had two sisters out there that I never found. Sitting at home, I got on Google search, and that's when I found my two sisters. I messaged Tiffany on Facebook, and I told her, excuse me, I'm just a young man trying to find his daddy. When I contacted Tiffany, she thought I was a scammer. And at that time, she contacted Tahara, who was the youngest. We talked about a meetup, public spot, to really see what was going on. One of the family members died, so they invited me to come and visit. So once I arrived to that location, Tiffany ran from me. Tiffany locked herself in a room. She ran from me 'cause she thought she saw a ghost. She said I looked just like him. I wanna know who my father is. I've been searching for my father. Never got to meet him. He passed away before I could meet him. Now I can prove to them that I'm their brother. At least I know where I came from. At least I know where I came from.

Listen everyone, we'll meet Jonathan a little later in the show, but help me welcome Jonathan's potential sister Tiffany to the show so we can hear her side of the story. So Tiffany, I was watching your face while that video was going on. You were not having it. You was over it. You was talking about he dramatic.

He's very dramatic.

So hold on, my producer told me that you thought he was a scammer.

I did, I did. Okay. Because you have to understand, at the time Jonathan reached out to me, he was 38 years old.

Okay.

Right? We lived in the city of New Orleans. New Orleans is not that big, and you were in the police, on the police force. So I feel like if you had that much access, certainly you guys would've made contact and met each other prior to my father dying.

That makes sense.

Right?

So how could he benefit from being your father's son?

Because my dad had an entertainment company.

Okay.

And he was really big in the music industry.

Got it.

And so everybody in the city, everybody pretty much a lot of places knew my father. So when I got the message, I was like, nah, hell no. Like, what the hell you want? We ain't never heard of you or anything, right? Yeah, yeah. So it was just like, I was very taken aback by it.

Makes sense to me. So what happened the first time he contacted you?

I really didn't respond to him initially. He contacted me, I think about 8 something that morning on Facebook. And it took me a little while to process it. And of course I touched bases with my sister and was like, hey, Did this crazy person text you talking about he daddy son?

Yeah.

And so he did. He went on social media, every single person that had the same last name, he reached out to them.

Oh wow.

So yes, so I was like, no, I'm not contacting him. Like, you crazy.

Yeah. I'm not laughing at the situation, it's the way you just said he crazy. Okay. Had you ever heard anything about him before he contacted you?

Never in my whole entire life. And another reason of me not responding immediately is because I did not want that to distort my perception of my father.

Makes sense.

He was there very present in Tahira and I's life. He supplied, he provided for us. And to know that he had a kid out here that you never had any interaction with that grew up without having you, that was gonna mess with my psyche.

Got it. When did you end up finally talking to him?

That day I messaged him back and I was like, is there anything that I can help you with? And he was just, He's so abrasive, he's so aggressive. I kind of just see, how do I know you? I'm looking for my father who he haven't seen in 30 years. I was like, nah. This is something I'm right with.

Did you really run away from him when you met him for the first time?

Yeah, I really did.

Like sprint?

Like, no, like I opened that door, I saw his face and I turned around and I started running. And I locked myself in a room and I was sitting there and I was like, this cannot be real.

Okay.

Because he looks just like my father.

Oh, he does.

Yes, he does. And so when I seen his face, I was like, now you coming back from the grave trying to harass me? Like, no. So yes, I was scared.

So he isn't the only dramatic one then, girl. You ran.

I did.

Okay, girl, he not the only dramatic one then. No, I'm a little dramatic. So how does your family feel about him? Him claiming to be your brother?

My family thinks that he does look like my daddy, but my kids—

Well, you think it too.

I do, but my kids, they say, "Oh no, he a scammer. No, don't trust him." Oh wow. "He be trying to take money. Oh, you want this and you want that." No, so yeah.

Got it. So you were close with your father, you said?

Yes.

Yeah, so you had a great relationship?

Yes.

And you have other siblings?

Just Tahara.

Just Tahara, just one. Yes. Okay then. Were you close with her growing up?

Yeah, we lived in the same house.

Oh, you did?

We actually watched my father pass. So, you know, that's a very traumatic situation 'cause my dad died at 43.

Oh, wow.

And had never been sick a day in his life, right? So to see him die in front of us, and my little sister was young, and then to know that here somebody comes years later, "Oh, I'm your father's son." You can't be.

Yeah.

There's no way.

Yeah, yeah. Do you want Jonathan to be your brother?

What part of Jonathan you talking about? Parts of him I want to be my brother and then—

What parts you don't wanna be your brother? The dramatic part?

Yeah, the obnoxious part.

Okay.

Yeah, that part, no. But Jonathan have a really good heart.

He does have a good heart. He do have a good heart.

Yes.

My producer had told me earlier that, did he tell you that he was gonna change his name?

He really did say that.

And change his name to what?

Okay, so lemme tell you. Part of the reason why we initially were not as close, right? When you tell somebody, oh yeah, I might be your brother. And you have to give a person time to accept that. Jonathan was not like that. Jonathan was, oh no, so what my daddy did and what my grandma did and what this and where's my uncle? Sir, we don't even know you. Recently he said, well, when it proves that I'm your brother, I'm changing my name to Thurston Gooden Jr. And in my mind I said, this can't be real. This cannot be real life because what will possess you to wanna do that? Even if the test proved that that is your father. You've gone 45 years as Jonathan, now you decide, I wanna change my name to Thurston.

Well, I can understand.

No, no, no, no, no.

I know for other people it can say, but my training tells me that if I have felt abandoned and I felt no connection, this is allowing me to be connected to a father that I didn't have. And so I'm going to scrap and search for any type of connection.

Karamo, Karamo, Karamo.

I know, girl. I know.

Okay, I can see that. I don't see you changing your last name.

But I can understand why he wants to make the connection.

I still can't understand that shit. I'm sorry.

Well, listen, I think it's time to meet Jonathan. So everyone help me welcome Jonathan to the show. Really?

Really, bro? Really? I'm just— Really?

Come on, man.

Really? You know I'm gonna keep it a buck. How you doing? How you doing, sir? How you doing? Really, bro?

You know I'm gonna keep it a buck, though.

45 years though, man.

Really? OK, but 45—

You don't know what I went through. 45 years.

And I get that. But I'm not you. I'm crazy.

I'm crazy. I'm crazy, I'm crazy now.

How did you feel when she thought you were a scammer?

It didn't really surprise me, but I was scared to even reach out though. That's what's back, I was scared to reach out. Going through life, I know the name, but I didn't know the person. I didn't know the face or nothing like that. Playing football, looking at the gate, waiting on to see if my daddy gonna run through the gate and say I'm here. Yeah.

You know what I'm saying?

So I was everything, you know, what potentially my potential sister told me.

Yeah. Do you think he knew about you?

Yes, I do.

You do?

Yes, I do. The problem is my siblings didn't know about me.

Got it. So you think he knew but never reached out?

Yeah.

But that's not like my daddy. So I mean, if you understood the person, you would be able to understand why I say what I say. My daddy despised men that don't take care of their responsibility. My daddy's perception, even when I was married, it's like, I don't care if you gotta go get 3 jobs to make sure you provide for your family. My daddy wanted a son. So I cannot believe and accept the thoughts of knowing that he knew about you and it was his choice that he just had nothing to do with you. That's just, I can't accept that.

Okay, what does this DNA test mean to you?

Closure.

Yeah.

Don't tell him, 'cause he will.

It's okay.

It is okay to cry, but not all the time.

It's closure. I've been asking for this for 45 years.

45 years, yeah.

Been 45 years.

Yeah, I get that. Well, Tiffany's sister Tahara's in the audience. Tahara, how you doing? How do you feel when you heard about Jonathan?

At first, like, I got the message too on Facebook, so I was like, what's going on? It felt weird. I immediately called my mom. I was like, Ma, this man said he looking for my daddy and he died in 2003 and it was 2016. So I'm like, what's going on? Then my mama called Tiffany and we all had like a little convo and we was like, what's going on? So it was just, and I was younger, so I was just like, Really shocked.

Yeah, do you think he's your brother?

I think he does favor my dad.

That ain't my question. I said he favors. Do you think he's your brother?

Since he favors my dad, I do think that.

Okay, you do think he's your brother.

And I felt like, I was real young when my dad passed and I felt like that when I met him, it was like God giving me back my dad kind of in a way. So I kind of felt that way. So I think that's why I'm so like, yeah, I'm be saying.

You said that's not, look, that's a big sister. She called you out. She said that's not what you be saying about me.

That's what she be saying, girl.

No, for real, I have had that conversation with my mama, but me and my sister, we be like, we be rowdy, so you know, we be hyping each other up, but with my mama, it do get a little bit more serious.

Okay, got it. So do you two have the same mother and father?

No, we just have the same dad.

Same dad, okay then, but you were raised together?

Yes.

Okay then, got it. And your mom didn't know anything about Jonathan?

Yeah, I don't think she did. She said she heard stories from my dad, but she didn't, really know nothing.

Got it.

So she said she didn't. Your mama didn't?

Yeah.

Okay. Your mama definitely didn't know anything.

My mom said that, why didn't you ask me? I said, well, how am I supposed to ask you something I have no knowledge of?

Yeah.

And so she said she remember him, his mom going to my grandmother's house with a baby and telling my daddy that, hey, you have a baby. And my father told his mom to go, I need to get a DNA test. And then that being the end, The test was never done. It kind of gave some of his story some validity, you know? But here we are 45 years later.

Because the DNA test wasn't done then?

No, it wasn't.

Got it. Tell you why you ran from me though, you thought I was a ghost.

Because you look just like my daddy and I don't have time for the dead to be coming to harass me.

Tahara, actually I'm gonna ask you to come down on the stage while we get this DNA test. Well, Jonathan, it's been 45 years and I think it's time to solve this DNA mystery. How about you? Come on with me, brother.

Oh my God.

That was the moment of truth.

Come on, stand right here for me.

Oh no.

Listen, Jonathan, 45 years you have searched, you've had anxiety, you've had a whole bunch of feelings. Your potential little sister could tease you. But I understand where your emotions come from. You have been spending your entire life wondering where do you come from?

Yes, sir.

You have questioned, I can only imagine what that was like when we talked about you being at 24 years old, standing outside of a potential address hoping that this man will walk up. This has been 45 years in the making. Oh my God. And it is your truth to open, not mine. So here you go.

Jonathan Tiffany, you are biological sister.

I told y'all, dude.

Look at this.

Bam.

Oh my God. Can I just say that you cannot change your name to Thurston Gooden Jr.?

Listen.

It's already in the making.

Listen, I'mma call you— I'm gonna call you Thurston Jr., but the only name y'all need to call him now is brother. That's your brother. That is y'all brother.

Thank you so much.

You're welcome. How does it feel to have your answers finally?

This is so surreal.

It is.

Like—

This better than anything.

Yeah.

It's better than anything.

Yeah.

I appreciate you. You're welcome. And I love y'all, man.

Here, here.

I got my own tissue.

Please use it. Little thirsty.

There you go, there you go.

But nah, they just on me.

It's all I want right now.

It's funny because the love of siblings is already there. It's already there. It's already there. It's already there. The love of sibling is already there. And I know that this is only gonna bring y'all closer. And I understand, and just to making sure that everyone has some closure in this, I understand y'all's point of view. Of you being nervous, of you being apprehensive. And I don't believe that this news means you have to mourn the image you have of your father. I believe that there probably were factors that those—

Yeah, I'm not dealing with that right now.

Yeah, you don't need to mourn that. You don't need to mourn that. And that's why I need to make sure you have that because—

Because if my daddy knew about him, like what happened to make him not be a part of his life? Yeah. Because he would not have some of the traumas that he currently has. Like he didn't get to live the life that we lived.

Yeah.

So if you knew that it was a potential that you had a son, like why? And I would never be able to ask him that because he's not here.

Yes.

But it's not right.

But what I mean, but what I'm trying to help you to understand is that doesn't take away from who he was because one decision when there was another adult involved bringing a child. There's a lot of factors. His mother was there. There's a lot of people. Your mother was there that we don't know exactly what happened. And that doesn't take away his morals.

They were married. My mom was married to him.

So they're married. It doesn't take away his morals, his values or anything. But what you've displayed on this is compassion for what he experienced. And that shows us exactly who your father was and what he instilled in you. So do not question your father's identity. He was the man he was to you and he will always be that. And what he has given you is the ability to be compassionate and loving and be an annoying little sister.

Yeah, 'cause I'm not the oldest.

Okay, you're not the oldest. I'm the brother now.

Okay.

I'm the brother now. Exactly. The oldest too.

How about that? Barely.

Listen, I wish y'all the best of luck. I'm glad you got your closure and you got your answers, all right?