Life Comes At You Fast: Rebecca Cartellone Realized She Wasn't Her Father's Child Thanks To AncestryDNA
Well, this is a big ol' YIKES.
Facebook AncestryDNA is opening up a whole world of drama — sometimes, for the right reasons, and other times for the wrong ones. However, this latest bit of drama has led to a lawsuit against a fertility clinic. Who is Rebecca Cartellone, and why is her family suing the fertility clinic that helped bring about her existence?
Let's look at what we know about this unfortunate story.
1. The story begins in 1994.
According to The Daily Mail, Joseph Cartellone and his wife, Jennifer, went to a fertility clinic when they had difficulty conceiving. As a result of successful fertility treatments, their daughter Rebecca was born. And, for years, Joseph and Jennifer Cartellone raised Rebecca as their own child.
2. An AncestryDNA test revealed the truth.
According to The New York Daily News, Rebecca Cartellone got an AncestryDNA test as a present. When she took the test, it was revealed that Joseph Cartellone wasn't her true biological father. A separate DNA test confirmed the same.
3. Rebecca Cartellone's family is now suing the fertility clinic.
"The lawsuit alleges breach of contract, negligence and breaking a legal-binding promise. It also alleges battery against Jennifer Cartellone because she would not have consented to an embryo that had been fertilized by a stranger being used in the procedure. The family is asking for monetary compensation and the name of the biological father and information about his medical history," reported CNN.
4. Her family says that Rebecca Cartellone is incredibly distressed about this discovery.
According to Good Morning America, Rebecca Cartellone's family said that their daughter has been "incredibly distressed" since discovering that the man she thought was her father isn't really her biological father. It's unclear whether she's come to terms with this, or not, but what is clear is that her emotional distress is part and parcel of the pending lawsuit. As well it should be!
5. The fertility clinic said it was just a mixup.
We're not sure how something like this could be "just a mix-up," but the fertility clinic is claiming exactly that. "Christ Hospital says it won't comment on pending litigation; the Ovation Fertility Cincinnati clinic, meanwhile, was an offshoot of the original clinic the Cartellones contracted with, so it says it's not responsible," reported Newser.
6. Who is Rebecca Cartellone's real father?
According to The Dispatch, there are several possibilities as to who Rebecca Cartellone's real father may be. One possibility, in fact, includes a doctor at the fertility clinic!
"The family seeks financial damages and an order requiring the facilities to provide the identity of the donor who fathered Rebecca Cartellone and details about how the mishap occurred. It also questions whether Mr. Cartellone’s sperm was given to another clinic client. The Christ Hospital Health Network said in a statement that the system is “evaluating the allegations surrounding events alleged to have occurred in the early 1990s” and that policy precludes public comment on pending litigation," reported the outlet.
Bernadette Giacomazzo is an editor, writer, and photographer whose work has appeared in People, Teen Vogue, Us Weekly, The Source, XXL, HipHopDX, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Post, and more. She is also the author of The Uprising series. For more information about Bernadette Giacomazzo, click here.