My Father's Family Denied Me After He Died! | Karamo

So please tell me what happened at your father's funeral.

Well, I wasn't being denied at the funeral. Just after the funeral, I started getting denied.

Okay.

So I was only 13, so it wasn't for me to be worried about at 13, but it kind of became—

A thing.

A stress. After the funeral, they started asking for DNA.

Okay then.

So me and my mom was like, where'd this come from?

Yeah, of course. So what did your mother have to say about all that?

Nothing, she just really got the DNA test done and we never heard nothing else about it, so.

Let me go back because you said a DNA test was done. What did the DNA test say?

I don't even know.

You don't know? No.

Yeah.

I'm still in the dark and I'm 43 years old and I'm still wondering.

And the fact that you went your entire life, you just assume everything got solved because you just went on with your life. If this happened at 13, You just assume everything is good, but you don't know for sure.

No, I don't know.

And when did you learn about Danny being another potential father?

Well, my brother used to always say, "Oh, well, you know, my dad could be your dad." So I took it as, "Okay, well, maybe he can be, but I don't think so." So I never heard it. My mom never told me it, so I don't know.

So let me be clear. So who are the two men that could be your father?

Their names.

Darnell Wright and Danny Montgomery.

Darnell and Danny, got it. And so in Danny, you never heard, Darnell's the one that at the funeral they started questioning and then later on your brother said, "Danny could be your dad." Yep. Got it. And your brother and you have the same mother, just to be clear.

Yep.

Okay, understand that. Did you grow up with Danny in your life?

No.

You did not. And Danny and Darnell were friends, my producers told me.

Their families are married into each other, so.

Got it. I wanna be clear with everyone. So Danny took a DNA test And since Darnell passed away, his brother Dean took a DNA test so we can determine who your father is out of these two men. I wanna ask you, who do you believe is your father? Is it Darnell or Danny?

Darnell.

Darnell, okay. The man you've known about your entire life. Mm-hmm. Got it. And how do you feel when Danny calls you his daughter? 'Cause my producers told me that Danny was calling you his daughter.

It don't bother me. But for me to believe that that's my father, it bothers me.

Yeah, yeah.

So I don't know, I just wanna know the truth.

Yeah, what's bringing up the emotion right now?

'Cause I wanna find out if that's my dad.

Yeah, yeah.

I think it's time to hear Danny's side of this story. So let's welcome Danny to the show. So do you believe that Danette is your daughter?

Yes, yes I do.

You do? Okay then. I see you getting emotional. What's going on, sir?

Here you go. 'Cause I was listening to everything she said back there. And I know she wouldn't know from back then when she was little that where I was in her life because she was young, you know? It's kind of hard, you know, take that in. But her brother, they're the only two that was talking about each other as being Brother and sister.

Yeah.

When I brought her home to my mom, my mom said, "Yeah, this is your first daughter." So, I was going with that, you know? So, it's been like that with me.

So you've learned about her since she was born?

Oh yeah.

'Cause you signed her birth certificate as well?

Yeah.

You did?

Yeah.

Okay then. So her question was, if you have signed the birth certificate and you knew, why weren't you involved?

Penitentiary. She knows that I've been in penitentiary a lot.

Okay.

As far as with the kids and everything, they would know as far as me sending toys and stuff like that.

Got it.

They would only see the toys, but they wouldn't see the gratification from me.

Got it, I understand.

You know.

Were you in a relationship with her mother?

Yeah.

You were in a relationship.

For a little time, you know, I mean.

Yeah.

She had her thing going on.

So if you was my dad, why never when I was little, I never was told that you was my dad when I stayed with Aunt Betty and all of that stuff?

Now listen to this, she hid it from you because remember that during this process of her last living, every time she come to that back door, I would open up the door, she would laugh. I said, "Is that mine?" She said, "Ha ha." She just never told me. She would never tell me.

Yeah. Yeah.

So both of you were sort of like unsure. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Did you know she also had a relationship with Darnell?

Yeah.

You did know that?

I knew of it, but I didn't know at the time that it would be something that would be a process that would cause this conflict.

Got it. Were you friends with Darnell?

Yeah.

You were friends?

Yeah.

My producer said that y'all lived across the street?

Right across the street.

Wow. Okay. Okay. Was there ever a DNA test taken?

Pertaining towards him, they did, but never me.

And did you know about the results from him? 'Cause she never knew.

I didn't know about the results.

How?

How do you not know?

Yeah.

Y'all taking a DNA test to find out because all of the family members is saying that I'm his child, I'm his child, and nobody don't know. Where the DNA test at?

Nobody knew.

Yeah.

It's crazy. Well, the results would have definitely been sent to your mother. So she would have known the answer for sure.

Yeah, but she never even told me.

She wouldn't tell us anything. She probably told my sister at the time, but my sister wasn't gonna tell me.

She would always say, "Ask Nettie." She was very secretive to herself, but I mean, hey.

Is your sister Betty, is she still with us?

No, she's gone too.

Okay, she's passed as well.

So it was hard to find out anything through her.

Yeah, got it. What is your relationship like with Danette?

Shh.

We never see each other. I mean, that's why I question. Yeah. Like, if you my dad, let's communicate. I need family. Let's talk. You my dad. Get with my kids.

Do something.

Yeah, do something. So I wanna meet Darnell's brother, Dean, who took a DNA test to determine if Danette is Darnell's daughter. So everyone, please welcome your potential uncle, Dean, to the show. He's gonna come out right here. Have you ever met Dean? No.

No?

That's one of my best friends.

Oh, wow. Okay then.

Okay. Dean, thank you for being here.

I've been doing most of his life. Yeah.

How you doing, honey?

I love you.

I love you too. What was making you emotional backstage?

Oh, y'all saw that?

I can see everything.

From my recollection of everything, it's been a long time coming. I was emotional because they family regardless. Yeah, okay.

But my nephew married his sister.

Oh wow.

That's how they know all of the family stuff going on.

That's how we know all, I was raised up with him. Got it. Been knowing his mom and everything.

Do you believe Danette is your niece?

I was there from the beginning. And I can only go by what the mother told me.

And what did she tell you?

I always looked at it as she was my niece. I changed her pampers, everything. I was there. Yeah. And that's what I always believed. And I'm not gonna never treat her no different.

Thank you. Yeah.

That's what it is.

Danny, how does that make you feel? 'Cause he's saying like, I got told. But you also, that the fact that he's like, "My brother is her father." I can't do nothing but wait until the DNA.

She's always gonna be my child in life, period.

Of course.

I don't care about DNA or whatever.

Got it. Does it upset you that your family questioned her?

It was never really like they questioned it. They talked about it and there was never really no clarification on whether she was or not.

They was just—

So Uncle Dean, Where'd this DNA situation come from?

I don't know.

You talking about when he came up to the north?

When my dad passed away.

Yeah.

They took DNA.

Yeah, he came to Waterloo.

They said that my dad wasn't my dad.

Did you know about that? No. You did know about that.

He is supposed to—

That's my dad's brother.

He is supposed to came up to Waterloo to do a DNA test And then on his way back to Des Moines, he got killed in a car accident. That's what I was told. Got it.

You know.

So during— Then they told us that he wasn't, that she was not his daughter.

Got it. But you're his brother and you never heard that?

So nobody don't even under, nobody knows nothing about the DNA.

Nobody but my mom.

But she didn't tell nobody.

Aunt Betty.

Yeah.

Well, Aunt Betty never said nothing about the DNA.

Betty used to sit back and say, "Ask." Nanny, she'll tell you.

Well, I never asked her.

Well, I asked her, she wouldn't.

So I'm glad I'm here today to find out.

Yes, yes, yes.

Me too.

Did Darnell believe that this was his daughter? Yes, he did.

All the way.

All the way.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah, so I don't know, but that's all I know is he felt that Danette was his daughter. I knew that Her mother professed that to me several times and she told me she was in love with him.

My dad used to come and get me though, Karamo. When I was a little girl, my dad used to come and get me. He used to take me and buy me stuff and he used to always tell me, "You my only child, you my daughter, I love you." I was in placement, my dad came and took me and my son and took me home to my mother. So he played a big part before he passed away.

Yeah.

Danny, your son Montrese is in the audience. Hey Montrese, how you doing? Nice to meet you. So my producer told me you're the one that called the show.

Yeah.

Thank you so much for calling the show. I appreciate that. Because what I love about people like yourself, that even though you're not directly involved, you say, you know what, this needs to be solved. Everyone needs closure. So I appreciate you being that person.

Yeah.

So you called Donnette your sister?

Yeah, that's my sister.

That's your sister.

That's my sister, my best friend.

Yeah, we have the same mother.

You have the same, all in one.

Yeah.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

They got the same dad too.

You got it?

Yeah, yeah.

You think that?

Are you too close?

Very.

Very close.

That's my mother's child. That's my brother.

Yeah. What has Donnette expressed to you about what this means to her?

I mean, she a strong little lady. She's strong, very strong. She's been through a lot in life and she's overcome a lot. A lot, but she tries to play the tough role. I'm not too much worried about it. If Danny my dad, he my dad. If Darnell my dad, he my dad. I just wanna know, but I know her, so I know when she alone, she thinks about that amongst other things.

You know what I mean?

I know her, so I mean, This would be some weight off of her back.

Got it. Well, thank you for being here. I appreciate it. And again, thank you for calling the show and supporting your sister. Well, Donnette, are you ready for the truth? You ready?

Mm-hmm.

All right, let's go. Come with me. In these two envelopes is your truth. We have tested Danny to see if he is your father, and we have also tested Dean your uncle to see if you are related to his brother. Then you had someone else come into your life, Danny, saying, "I'm your father as well." I'm scared. You're scared, I know.

Yes.

Everyone here is to support you though. And this envelope is your truth of who you are, your identity. These are your truths to open, not mine. We wish you the best of luck, okay?

Here you go, sir. I don't know if I can.

You want to come support your sister? I'm going to have you guys sit here. I'm going to have him support his sister. Dean, I'm going to have you sit down for me.

I don't know. Stop it.

I know. I know.

I got it.

Danette, Dean is not your biological uncle.

Okay, okay, okay, stop it. You okay? You okay? Regardless, I'm your dad and your father.

That's still gonna be my dad though. That's right. At the end of the day, that's my dad.

Come on. Oh my God.

Danette, Danny is not your biological father. I told you. I tried to tell y'all. It's okay. I knew he was not my dad.

We talked about it.

We knew who it was.

I already knew that.

I told y'all. We knew who it was.

How you feeling right now? Come here. Come here. Come here. Come here. Come here. Come here. Come here. Come here. Sorry.

You're okay, man.

We know who your daddy is now. We know now.

You know? Yeah. Who is this person that you think is her father?

His name is . If he's still living.

I met him. Do you remember him?

She don't know him.

No, no, she never met him. She never met him.

I don't want no more DNA or nothing though. I'm done with it. I'm done with it. You done. Yeah, it's over with. Yeah, yeah. I just wanted to know if my dad was my dad, in which I'm still gonna say Darnell is my dad.

Yeah.

So I'm just gonna go on with my life now.

Well, I'm still gonna be your dad too. Yeah. I'm obviously.

Thank you.

You still call me dad too, so. Yeah.

You know.

I respect your choice. I respect your choice of saying you want the journey to stop here. Yeah. You wanted closure about one thing. Yeah. And there is no need for you and your mind to open up anymore. It sounds like you have a supportive brother who loves you. Mm-hmm. You have this man here who still loves you even though he's not your father. I know Dean is hurt by this and he has to process, but I'm sure he still loves you and I know he still is there for you.

Mm-hmm.

But you got the answers you wanted.

Yeah.

And I think it's important to understand that this is your journey and what you want is most important. I'm glad you have your brother here. Because I know right now I see what you talk about where she, you put on a front of I'm strong. I put on a front that I'm strong, but you're gonna have to grieve this and you're gonna have to process. And I want you to know dealing with people who have been through this, there'll be a wave of emotions and I don't want you to stop those emotions. Just let those feelings come. Okay? Dean, he, my producer told me that he wants to come back out 'cause he has something he wants to say.

Yeah, sure, sure. No problem.

Come on in. You can stand, you can sit.

Huh?

I can stand. I think I'm too old to be sitting.

Dean, what's on your mind right now?

She was my last hope for my brother.

Yeah.

It's okay. It's okay.

I love you though.

I love you too. Don't never forget it.

I love you too. Always.

And that's why I respect your process and your decision because you are still surrounded by love.

Yep.

I wish you all the best of luck. Thank you for calling me. Thank you. And trusting me. Thank you for being here. You know, thank you so much.