#4 Rudy Giuliani And Regina Peruggi
A lot of the couples we have here on this list were either born before the 20th century or were alive during the times when it was acceptable to marry your cousin. However, this one couple is not only recent, but they were also in the public eye at the time they went along with such a decision. And most importantly, they are both still alive!
You may have heard that Regina Peruggi and Rudy Giuliani used to be married, but what you probably didn’t know about the situation is that the two are actually cousins! And while Regina is his second cousin, it doesn’t make the situation any better, especially since Rudy has been seen trying to say she is his third cousin, as if that would make the situation any better.
Despite this, they still got divorced back in 1980, even if both of them are Catholic, as they got an annulment. Most likely because they are related and did not receive permission to marry in the first place. Despite this, Giuliani went on to become Mayor of New York City and remarried twice, whereas Perrugi became the first woman president of Kingsborough Community College and never married again.
4 thoughts on “9 Famous People Who Were Related and Still Got Married”
It has been documented that Jefferson and his slave Hemmings were in love. It is not fair to say he abused her. She was half sister to his former wife.
Any couple related or not, also is at risk of having a child with genetic conditions or health problems! Although taboo in some cultures, marriage between first cousins is accepted in many cultures around the world. The vast majority of children of first cousins are healthy and do not have problems due to their parents’ relatedness. It is important to keep in mind that even for an unrelated couple, there is an approximately 2-3% chance that their child is born with a birth defect, genetic syndrome, or disability.
The risk for children of first cousins is increased over this background, by about 3%. ( Not enough to forbid or look down upon )
The above information is from the “Genetic Awareness Project”
Another note of fact: Mary and Joseph were first cousins…. and though Jesus supposedly was immaculately conceived his siblings were definitely born of Mary and Joseph. If G-d sanctioned their marriage then who are we to say that such marriages are taboo?
You missed another famous couple who were cousins. FDR and Eleanor Roosevelt..
The outlaw Jesse James married his first cousin, Zerelda Mimms. She tended to his wounds from the Civil War.