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You don't get to choose the family you were born into — you're stuck with the one you have. While this usually includes a fair share of blissful highs, devastating lows, and plenty of mundane in-betweens, that’s not all there is. See, every family has a skeleton or two lurking around in their closets. Often filled with murkier waters, concealed in the nooks and crannies, and kept under lock and key out of fear that they might accidentally get uncovered.
But nothing can remain hidden forever. And if you thought you and your family had some dark mysteries that can never be shared, these startling, scary, and disturbing tales compiled from this 'Ask Reddit' thread may change your mind. "What is the strangest/creepiest secret your family has?" someone asked and inspired hundreds to shine a light on their family riddles.
We at Bored Panda have gathered some of the most chilling confessions spilled in the thread to share with you all. So sit back, buckle up, and be warned: some of these are quite intense and may not be for the weakest of hearts. Be sure to upvote as you go, and let us know about your own experiences in the comments.
Psst! After you’re done reading through this list, check out our earlier post about the most shocking family secrets people ever found out right over here.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Great-grandmother was apparently a prostitute in Liverpool. I was actually as proud as hell to find this out, as I have nothing but respect for anyone who will do what they have to do to survive and provide for their family. No shame.
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#2
My Great Great Great Great Grandfather was busted in England pretending to be an Anglican priest. At the time a marriage was not official if it was not conducted by an Anglican priest, and he'd done ceremonies for quite a swathe of important people. Rather than publicly expose him, thus voiding the marriages he'd presided over, they invented a charge of forging stamps and sentenced him to transportation to the Australian colonies. Thing is, they didn't tell the ship captain or send word to the Governor in Sydney Town that his crime was actually impersonating a priest. When he arrived in Sydney the Governor saw from the ship manifest that there was a preacher on board who had committed a relatively minor crime. They had a lack of priests to minister the colony at the time, so the Governor pardoned him so that he could carry on his ministry, which he did. He started one of the first schools for children of the colony and led rather a worthwhile life from then on (aside from being a fake priest). The school he started still exists. Today it is Sydney Grammar School, one of the country's most elite schools. In their entrance hall they have a giant portrait titled 'Our Glorious Founder'. That's him, my GGGGGF, the dodgy priest.
#3
My mother abused me my whole life and one day I finally couldnt take anymore and told a teacher. CPS was called and as soon as my mom realized what was going on she raced to the police station andtold them that an hour previously I had gone crazy and tried to kill my baby sister so that **I** looked like the crazy one and nothing I said would be taken seriously. I was removed from the school in handcuffs and immediately taken to the county courthouse where I had to face my mother in a trial. I chose not to testify because I knew it wouldn't help, but in the end the judge realized that She was crazy and I wasn't. I had the choice between being put in a psychiatric hospital for teens or going home, so I chose the loony bin. Five days later my aunt came from another state and adopted me. My family doesn't talk about it and to this day my mother maintains that I was a horrible child and I was "sent away" for my "own good" and that she is so happy I am better now.
#4
This'll probably never be seen here, but I think it's funny so here goes:
My uncle Rawhide (yes, that's his name; no, we don't interact with him at all) once tried to mug some dude back in the day. The guy didn't have any cash, but he said he'd cut a check if he was given a name. Rawhide was stupid enough to fall for it, and the police apprehended him shortly thereafter.
#5
I just found out that my grandparents wanted more kids but were having trouble getting pregnant for a second time. They adopted a toddler aged brother and sister when my mother was was 7. Soon after, my grandmother got pregnant, the girl died from a *very* mysterious fall down the stairs and the boy was quietly given to another family. They never, ever spoke of either child from that day forward. I thought she was pulling my leg but a quick search turned up the girls death record.
I was never close to that grandmother and can't help but think back to every weird aspect of that women and all the strange relationships she had with her family.
#6
Condensed version: My parents abused me often. I told some friends about it, and child protective services were called multiple times. My mom convinced me to help her stage a dramatically emotional meeting between me, her, and my middle school guidance counselor, during which I confessed that I made it all up for attention. I made the same “confession” to all of the friends that I told, and was quickly alienated. This all happened under the pretense that it was my fault for telling them, and that I was “destroying the family” if I didn’t cooperate. Now there are at least dozens of people who remember me as a bratty, twisted attention whore.
The Gingersmurf 2 years ago
You are worth goodness and love. You are NOT what your parents did to you. Take care of yourself and the hell with anyone who thinks badly.
#7
A great Uncle of mine passed away when I was a little boy. The family met at his house after the funeral to start packing things up and all as he had no children and his wife died many years before him.
My great uncle was a highly respected member of his small town. He was a banker of some sorts, deacon in the church, all of those things that made him a good person.
Well tucked away in the attic, not covered by any dust mind you, was a large wooden trunk. Inside this trunk were the purple robes of a KKK Grand Dragon, various member listings, meeting notes and all other sorts of things related to the KKK. Turns out that my great uncle was a very active although very much secretive member of the regional chapter of the KKK.
#8
An uncle i've never met (mom's brother) killed my mom's parents when he was sixteen in a fit of rage, and burnt down their home in an attempt to cover it up. I've never met him, as he has been in jail on a life sentence since before I was born. I was only informed of his existence, because my dad was black mailing my mom with this.
#9
Half my family lives in VA while the other relatives live in Iowa because back before the civil war a relative we all refer to as 'Uncle Raz' was late for supper and was afraid that his mom would kick his a*s so he took a shortcut through a field.
He got half way through the field when a bull started to chase him so he climbed a tree, and still afraid to be late for dinner he shot the bull dead. He made it home in time for dinner but the next day he ran away to Iowa for fear of the neighbor whos bull he had killed. He started a family there and thats why our family has relatives in Iowa.
#10
My great-grandfather had a 17 year old mistress he put up in an apartment, great-grandmother found out, confronted them at said apartment, shoots and kills 17 year old mistress.
Great-grandfather serves the time in prison for the murder.
weeeee
Inga Paškevičiūtė 2 years ago
Sad the girl had to die after being roped into a relationship with an old man.
#11
My great grandfather hit his wife with a fire poker, and slit her throat. He then proceeded to blow his head apart with a shotgun. He sat in a rocking chair and used his cane to push the trigger. All over an argument wither it was to cold for me to walk to a grocery store to get some milk.
The Gingersmurf 2 years ago
I hope that you know that none of this was your fault. That's a heavy load to carry in life but this is all on your great grandfather and NOT you.
#12
My grandmother jumped off a cliff and killed herself after receiving shock therapy to cure her depression. She was staying with us during winter when she went missing. They found her footprints in the snow that led up to the cliff. I found this out when I was 20 years old, from my cousin who was 18 at the time.
#13
My distant ancestor (great (x8) uncle) was a sociopath and a serial killer. His name was Tom Quick and he was an "Indian Slayer" who stalked the Delaware tribe.
He claimed to have killed ninety-nine members of the tribe by the time he died, including an entire unarmed family with two young boys and an infant, which he beat to death with a rock.
It's weird. These days his monument in Pennsylvania had to be removed due to vandals, but when it was erected in 1889, he was considered a hero and a defender of the civilized settlers.
#14
I only know the story from being told when I was really little so the details are sketchy but apparently a cousin accidentally spilled my great-grandmother's ashes into shag carpeting and they had to vacuum her up and emptied the vacuum bag back into the urn with whatever else had already been sucked into the vacuum from previous usage.
#15
My older sister is actually my mother, my father was my mother's (actually grandmother) husband.
They don't think I know.
#16
When my dad was in high-school about 2 years after getting his licence, he was driving home from school, It was a sunny day and the sun was in his eyes, all of a sudden 'thump' he realizes that he has hit a jaywalker, he gets out of the car and realizes that the person he hit was his high-school principle's son, who in the few seconds has passed away.
He wasn't arrested and the principle told him that 'he understood, and not to blame himself because it wasn't his fault'.
My grand-father who was an alcoholic did the one good thing in his life for my dad and that was make him drive that car home, if it wasn't for that I don't think my dad would have driven again.
6 years of therapy later my dad was all right.
We don't talk about it, and no one in my immediate family told me about it, I heard it from my friends mother who went to high-school with him, and confirmed it with my mom.
Driving with my dad now if he's driving by smaller children you can see his hands tremble.
#17
Two of my great uncles 'attempted' to rob a convenience store with water pistols. *le sigh*
#18
My grandparents met in a mental hospital. My grandmother worked there and grandfather was a patient. He was also married at the time, and since he never got a divorce my grandparents weren't legally married.
#19
My uncle molested my sister when she was younger. He was sort of exiled for a few years, but now we talk to him again. Due to eavesdropping and discussions with my parents one-on-one, it seems they never bothered coming to terms emotionally with it, but rather prefer to pretend it never happened. I find it odd to watch them interact with that knowledge in mind.
#20
I have no idea how my family gets its money. While growing up, I would ask my parents (usually my dad) how it worked, since my parents did not work, to which they would respond that we get money from my grandmother. Whenever we would get low on cash (my mom would always be reluctant to ask for more money from my grandma) and we kids complained about being low on money (thus not having much good food at home), my dad would tell us stuff like "we're never actually short on money. we actually have a lot, just not right now" or something in that direction. He had also mentioned stuff about how when we kids are older, we'll all get money that my mom was supposed to inherit.
Last year, when my mom, my sister and I were overseas staying with my grandparents over summer, I was able to find out that my mom had some stocks. I asked her how much they were worth, and simply said she did not know and that my grandmother handles those things. Grandparents are currently paying for my brother's college tuition (I think around $4000 per semester, but I don't know), and will soon be paying for my sister's ($12,000). I asked my brother about it, and he said it was through stocks and that he didn't understand it himself either and to just leave.
So yeah, that's probably the biggest secret and sadly I don't even know it.
April Caron 2 years ago (edited)
This just sounds like they’re living off of some trust fund and are not very good about using it to live within their means.
#21
My uncle is currently serving a lifetime prison sentence for murdering a prostitute with an axe.
#22
My uncle was kidnapped for two years when he was 15. He's never spoken of it to this day.
Also my super uptight, neo-con, evangelical Christian uncle who lives in Nebraska was actually a hippie stoner in the 60's. Oh and his wife is a mail-order bride.
Oh and my aunt's college fiance was murdered by a hitch-hiker.
#23
Wow. No incest or molestation in my story, but here goes.
My mom's brother was depressed after his divorce and tried to commit suicide, so he called my mom and asked her to watch over his kids once he was gone. She instantly figured out what he was going to do, so she called the cops and rushed over to his place. They kicked the door in and saved his life. Once he was conscious and in the hospital, he told my mom that because she interfered, she was never allowed to see his kids again or he'd burn our house down, with all of her kids in it.
Funny thing is we still run into him all over town. He pretends he doesn't know us.
#24
My family thinks my dad is a priest of the Melchizedekan order and will change the way the world does church.
My dad is 600lbs., in chronic pain, is lucky to leave the couch more then once a month, diabetic, and isn't even 50 and has already had a major pulmonary embolism.
They don't tell anyone outside the family because "they won't understand."
Nicole Weymann 2 years ago
They're right. At any rate I don't understand how someone who essentially doesn't make any public appearance (preach etc?) is supposed to affect any major changes in an organization. Is that some kind of closed bubble effect within the group or is it just me?
#25
My brother had his hand bitten off by a seal to avoid going back to army
#26
Not really a strange or creepy secret but my grandpa lent my uncle 180,000 USD in the 90s from my dad's business without my dad's knowing for a start-up that failed miserably.
I recently found this out when my grandpa died and we were forced to actually see my uncle and his family after decades.
I hate that guy. It's not even about the money. He's just a good for nothing piece of s**t alcoholic, leeching off our grandma and what little she still has. F**k him.
I hate family.
#27
My Great Great Great Grandpa was in the Ku Klux Klan and killed three black men in a lynching. We found out through a scrap-booked newspaper clipping which named him as a suspect.
I think that's the worst
#28
Some family from my dad's side was asking if he would take in one of my distant cousins because the cousin was turning out to be a problem child. Apparently it's pretty common for that side of the family to send problem kids to other members of the family in an attempt to get them to shape up. My dad said no because he didn't have that much money and was dealing with some serious health issues like epilepsy and his heart. A few months later, the kid ended up robbing a store and murdering the owner of that store with a butcher knife. My dad felt guilty about it and I don't think anyone in the family knows that the kids mom had asked for my dad to watch him. I personally don't think sending the kid a state away would have changed him but my dad always used to wonder out loud to me in private if he could have done something to help.
Dillon Brown 2 years ago
In a month??? It was too late and he should be glad he didn't take the kid in before he murdered you all in your sleep! Maybe if it had been years between when he could have taken him in and the literal murder but come on!
#29
My great-grandfather and great-grandmother separated (but never divorced- they were Catholic) in the 1970s. My grandmother stayed in Minnesota; my grandfather and his "aide" moved to Nebraska. The aide was a man of the same age as my great-grandfather (mid-60s) but in better health. His daughters believed him; this was an aide who lived with my great-grandfather to help him out. However, once my mom's cousin (my great-grandfather's oldest granddaughter) came out as being a lesbian, he told her that he was, in fact, gay, and his aide was actually his lover.
I'm pretty sure that my mom's cousin and her wife, my mom, my mom's sister, and me and two of my cousins are the only ones who know this. Apparently it would "just *kill*" my grandmother and her sisters to hear this.
#30
I am pretty sure my mother was in some sort of cult or something as a child (parents forced her and r*ped her I think). She would tell me these pretty creepy stories of bodies being chopped up and thrown down a well. It's incredibly disturbing and I really don't want to know what really happened.
#31
I had an aunt who committed suicide when I was 3 and my older sister was 4. Her daughter had ran off and no one had any idea what happened to her mom. It was my older sister who told my mom that "Aunt Pam is playing in the garage" Sure enough they found her dead in her car. No one knew why my older sister knew this and when asked about it she said that her dream friend told her. My sister and I found about this recently. My sister also used to talk to this "dream friend" who came to her first in a dream about a graveyard.
#32
I'm half Japanese, but my family would never talk about relatives in japan. Then I saw an old photo my "whole" family, half were in traditional Japanese garbs and the other were in military uniforms. Turns out half my relatives were war criminals.
#33
In 1995, my uncle died in a car accident. Not speeding, not drunk, just lost control, overcorrected, and rolled the car. To this day, there's still speculation as to whether it was an accident, or if my aunt grabbed the wheel and pulled the car into the ditch.
over it already 2 years ago (edited)
This is sad. My sister died in a similar 1 car accident in 1993. Likely was not your aunt's fault. Long story as to why, but I strongly believe my sister was swerving to avoid an animal in the road.
#34
This was Mexico back in the day, and I'm not quite sure how different it was over there a few generations ago, but my great great "grandmother" was unable to have children. Apparently my grandfather was told that because of this, his "aunts" gave his "mom" their children occasionally.
What really happened: Wife unable to get pregnant so great great grandfather had sex with wife's sisters and took the children when they were born. Apparently this was completely normal and no one cared.
#35
My grandmother on my mom's side just kind of disappeared and no one heard from her again. The story was that she fled back to her home country (Japan) leaving behind two daughters. Of course, alternate speculation exists.
The only person with answers would have been my Grandpa but he didn't ever want to talk about it and took whatever he knew to the grave.
Anyone have a grandma who told stories of America before returning home in the late 50s?
#36
My great grandmother would always tell the story of how she just knew she was going to end up marrying her soon to be husband the first time she saw him. She left out the part about how he was married with a kid at the time. She also had an affair with a married man after her husband died. Not super strange, but sort of weird to think that our whole family exists thanks to her home-wrecking.
Emie N. 2 years ago (edited)
I hate people like that. If you know someone is married, leave them alone and find someone who is actually single. And the people who cheat are just as bad if not worse. Break up with someone first before you start an affair if you REALLY need to have that affair. 🙄
#37
Not creepy, but my great-grandfather was a bootlegger, and my grandmother spent her entire life trying to hide that fact from the family. Everyone knew, and everyone thought it was kind of awesome, but if it came up in conversation, it would bring her to the brink of tears and she'd start screaming her denials. She was ashamed until the day she died.
We also had only one picture of the guy. He was full-on Jewish mafia, and we're convinced that in the background of the picture they're either killing someone or puling out his teeth.
over it already 2 years ago
Grandma knew the truth of what that meant, and that it was not, in fact, 'kind of awesome,' especially if it involved torture/murder.
#39
My schizophrenic aunt has burned down her house and crucified her cats.
#40
My grandparents are first cousins.
What do you think ?
Sky Render 2 years ago
I discovered that I AM my family's deep, dark secret. My parents moved out to Kennewick, WA so that I could be born at Kadlec Regional Medical Center nearby specifically because they knew from ultrasounds that I was intersex and it was considered shameful back in 1981 to have an intersex child. They had me altered shortly after my birth, moved back to Oregon not long after, and made up some story about dad having gotten a regional position out there that didn't pan out as a cover story.
Lily Mae Kitty 2 years ago
can I ask are you happy about the alteration? I have read about this happening and it seems they just used to pick the sex the genitalia looked more like when people were infants and tended to overcorrect towards female. Without knowing anything of the child's personality and the lack of knowledge of the repercussions, I can't imagine most people are happy with the surgeries they got.
Load More Replies...
TheElderNom 2 years ago
My great grandfather got excommunicated from the Catholic Church. He became a member so he could marry my great grandmother in the Catholic Church, it was very important to her since she was a devout Catholic. But at sone point during the process either of joining the church or at the wedding he was expected to kiss the priest's ring which he refused, some insults followed, he hit the priest and left the church. They married in the normal Danish Church instead.
Lsai Aeon 2 years ago
I was adopted, but the unwanted child. My parents adopted me in 1979 when I was first born. I was mentally and emotionally abused by the entire family, I always got the feeling they didn't want me. They shamed me for everything, always told me I didn't know what I was talking about, anything I wanted to do they "weren't waisting money on that for you", I got weekly reminders "If you were a boy you'd have been named William Gregory, we'd call you Billy Greg" and oh so much more. I have no happy memories of my childhood with my family. My Uncle confirmed it during his speech at my parents' memorial just this past July. He named my son my parents' pride and joy, "the son they never had but so desperately wanted." Why they didn't tell the adoption agency they wanted a boy, or send me back I'll never know...
Sky Render 2 years ago
I discovered that I AM my family's deep, dark secret. My parents moved out to Kennewick, WA so that I could be born at Kadlec Regional Medical Center nearby specifically because they knew from ultrasounds that I was intersex and it was considered shameful back in 1981 to have an intersex child. They had me altered shortly after my birth, moved back to Oregon not long after, and made up some story about dad having gotten a regional position out there that didn't pan out as a cover story.
Lily Mae Kitty 2 years ago
can I ask are you happy about the alteration? I have read about this happening and it seems they just used to pick the sex the genitalia looked more like when people were infants and tended to overcorrect towards female. Without knowing anything of the child's personality and the lack of knowledge of the repercussions, I can't imagine most people are happy with the surgeries they got.
Load More Replies... TheElderNom 2 years ago
My great grandfather got excommunicated from the Catholic Church. He became a member so he could marry my great grandmother in the Catholic Church, it was very important to her since she was a devout Catholic. But at sone point during the process either of joining the church or at the wedding he was expected to kiss the priest's ring which he refused, some insults followed, he hit the priest and left the church. They married in the normal Danish Church instead.
Lsai Aeon 2 years ago
I was adopted, but the unwanted child. My parents adopted me in 1979 when I was first born. I was mentally and emotionally abused by the entire family, I always got the feeling they didn't want me. They shamed me for everything, always told me I didn't know what I was talking about, anything I wanted to do they "weren't waisting money on that for you", I got weekly reminders "If you were a boy you'd have been named William Gregory, we'd call you Billy Greg" and oh so much more. I have no happy memories of my childhood with my family. My Uncle confirmed it during his speech at my parents' memorial just this past July. He named my son my parents' pride and joy, "the son they never had but so desperately wanted." Why they didn't tell the adoption agency they wanted a boy, or send me back I'll never know...
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