Ali Fedotowsky, who once starred on The Bachelorette season 6, revealed that she found her half-sister after she completed a DNA test in order to learn more about her grandmother. Ali first appeared on Jake Pavelka's season of The Bachelor in 2010. She left the show when her employer at the time, Facebook, forced her to choose between returning to work or quitting her job. Later that year, Ali starred in her own season of The Bachelorette. She got engaged to Roberto Martinez on the season finale, but they announced their breakup in November 2011.
Ali might not have found lasting love on The Bachelorette, but she did eventually find her happily ever after. In 2013, she began dating radio and television host Kevin Manno. They got engaged in September 2015. Their daughter, Molly, was born on July 6, 2016. Ali and Kevin got married on March 3, 2017. Their son, Riley, was born on May 24, 2018. Ali has since hosted many television shows including 1st Look, E! News, and Home & Family.
In an Instagram post that began "The story of my sister," Ali revealed that she found her half-sister, Tonya, through a DNA test that she did in order to learn more about her grandmother, Molly. Ali's daughter, Molly, is named after her and she "meant so much" to Ali. The Bachelorette star said that she was so focused on learning about her grandma that she did not notice that "in my results a person popped up under 'Close relative.'" Since she thought she already knew all of her immediate family members, Ali assumed that the relative would be a first cousin. She shared that she was "super busy with two very young kids so I told myself I’d come back to it and just forgot." Ali went on to say that Tonya had also taken a DNA test and received an alert that she matched with Ali. The results said that a "close relative" meant that Ali was either Tonya's grandma, aunt, or half-sibling. Ali marveled, "It was pretty clear that I wasn’t her grandmother or aunt so half sibling was the only option. Crazy right?!?!"
Ali continued with what she called "a very Cliffs Notes version of the story," explaining that Tonya Googled her name and "a bunch of Bachelorette nonsense popped up. Ha!" Tonya then reached out to Ali's dad and they connected. He then connected Tonya and Ali with each other. She explained that her dad did not know that he had another daughter before this, and "the whole family is overjoyed!" Ali said, "It’s been the biggest blessing ever!," and that she is so glad that she found Tonya. She said, "She’s funny, laid-back, down to earth, and even if she wasn’t my sibling I’d want to be her friend." In the post, Ali shared a collection of pictures of her visit with Tonya, her husband Sonny, and her two nephews. Ali concluded the post by saying, "So crazy how life can change so quickly. I think I told you guys this before but I’ve always wanted a bigger family and I feel like my wish came true."
Ali's discovery of a half-sister was an unexpected gift. The former Bachelorette has built a beautiful life since she was on the show, and now Tonya is another part of it. Ali's half-sister was a pleasant surprise and an answer to her wish for a bigger family. They can now spend many years together making memories.
The Bachelorette season 19 premieres July 11 at 8 p.m. EST on ABC.
Source: Ali Fedotowsky/Instagram