Despite the fact that they were born at the same time to the same mother, Justin and Jordan look nothing like twins, besides having the same skin color. In fact, they look so different that James Harrison, the supposed father, decided to request a paternity test. Turns out, his instincts were right: One of the infants is his child, and the other is not.
Mia Washington, the mother of the “twins,” admitted to cheating on Harrison, her fiancé, prior to becoming pregnant. But she didn’t have any idea the pregnancy was a result of two separate sets of sperm.
Biologically speaking, this can happen when two or more eggs from the same woman are fertilized during the same ovulation period by two different men. When this rare event occurs, it is called heteropaternal superfecundation—and we really mean rare: There have only been about 10 other cases of this, according to the president of Clear Diagnostics’ DNA lab, Genny Thibodeaux. And in those cases, it was more obvious because the children were of different ethnic backgrounds.
The Telegraph failed terribly when explaining the results of the paternity test:
According to the paternity test, there’s a 99.999 percent chance Justin and Jordan do not have the same father, and zero percent chance they do.” What the reporter meant to say is: There’s a 99% chance that one of the babies belongs to Harrison, and a zero percent chance the other child is his.
Also worth noting: “Miss Washington, from Dallas, Texas, said she plans to tell the boys about their DNA differences when they’re old enough to understand. But she says she has no plans to tell the other father.” Which is why she told a reporter?
Related Content:
DISCOVER: Home DNA Tests
Image: flickr/ artfulas
May 18th, 2009 at 11:20 pm
WOW! Another big KUDO for the Lone Star State! Why are these folks always from Texas? I love being from Texas…but sometimes this crap is just embarrassing!
May 19th, 2009 at 2:23 am
I suppose the keyword is fiancé so at least she didn’t break an oath?
Science meets Jerry Springer?
May 19th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
[...] For more explanation of this extraordinary case, visit here. [...]
May 20th, 2009 at 12:08 pm
Birth control…what a concept!
May 22nd, 2009 at 10:27 pm
Yeah. So, my sister has twins by 2 different fathers as well. One is black, the other is a ginger. Beat that.
May 26th, 2009 at 12:42 pm
lol. I wish women that cheat and get busted, loose their right to gain child support. Obviously if they didnt need the baby’s daddy while they was with each other then she dont need him when he leaves her for cheating. If she dont have a job then she should either think before she jeapordize the relationship or make money the old fashion way and also the way that got her in the situation now – ON HER BACK!
June 9th, 2009 at 5:46 pm
[...] Content: Discoblog: Two Twins, Two Dads: DNA Test Proves “Twins” Born to Different Fathers Discoblog: When Technology Gets Creepy: Giving Birth in Second Life Discoblog: Pregnant Woman [...]
June 29th, 2009 at 2:33 am
its true i have a twin and we have two ethnically diff backgrounds we look nothing alike were rare!
July 31st, 2009 at 5:54 pm
[...] For more explanation of this extraordinary case, visit here. [...]
September 21st, 2009 at 6:41 pm
U fucking people get on here and Lie your asses off come on now get a fucking life stop being liars