Dylan Sprouse Sparks Reactions With Surprising Family Tree Discovery

Updated 21:09 23 Oct 2026 GMT+1Published 18:42 23 Oct 2026 GMT+1

The actor traced a surprising family connection after discovering an unusual pattern among his relatives

Dylan Sprouse has joked that he and twin brother Cole are 'children of incest' after uncovering a surprising connection between their parents' family trees.

The Suite Life of Zack & Cody star shared a meme about the discovery on October 22, making a reference to the Targaryen family from Game of Thrones, whose members are known for marrying close relatives.

The joke followed Dylan's account of how he discovered the family connection on his Wildmen podcast, after investigating why there were so many sets of twins among his relatives.

The 34-year-old explained that his parents' families had been connected through marriage in California during the 1800s, before their family lines crossed again in the generation immediately preceding his own.

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Dylan captioned his October 22 family-tree meme "Targaryen maxxing", referencing Game of Thrones.(Dylan Sprouse/Instagram)

Speaking on the October 20 episode of Wildmen, Dylan explained that the discovery began when he learned his father's uncles were identical twins.

He had previously believed the history of twins in his family came from his mother's side, which he said had seven sets of twins across four generations.

The pattern prompted him to investigate whether the two sides of his family were connected further back than he had realized.

"Then they diverged," Dylan said of his parents' family lines. "Then, they married again with my mom and my dad—like, last generation."

After uncovering the connection, Dylan decided to call Cole to share what he had found.

"I called Cole and I showed him a picture," he recalled. "And was like, ‘Dude, I just found out some f***ing crazy s***.’"

Cole, however, apparently had no interest in examining the findings.

According to Dylan, his twin brother responded, "Not looking at that," before closing what he was being shown and hanging up.

Dylan was more than happy to turn the discovery into a joke, summing up his findings by saying: "Long story short, Cole and I are children of incest."

Dylan and Cole Sprouse are twin brothers whose parents are Melanie Wright and Matthew Sprouse. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

Dylan's follow-up meme, shared through his Wildmen podcast's Instagram account, featured a warning about first-cousin marriage and the potential genetic consequences.

Alongside black-and-white images of the brothers were the words "haha long jaw go brrrrr", joking about their prominent jawlines.

The post was captioned "Targaryen maxxing", referencing the fictional dynasty from Game of Thrones, whose members frequently marry within their own family.

The meme also mentioned homozygosity, which occurs when someone inherits identical versions of a gene from both biological parents. Depending on the genes involved, this can increase the risk of certain recessive genetic conditions.

However, Dylan's story concerns historical connections between the families through marriage. His account does not establish that he and Cole's parents were close blood relatives, nor does it confirm that the brothers have any inherited genetic condition.

Featured Image Credit: Lionel Hahn/Getty Images

Topics: Cole Sprouse, Game of Thrones, Entertainment