Who Do You Think You Are? (2010) s01e05 Episode Script
Brooke Shields
Seven of the world's most beloved celebrities Will embark on life-altering journeys Into their family history.
They will travel the world in search of their heritage.
- Ooh.
- Oh! - Family mysteries will be revealed.
- I had always thought she was dead.
- It's the oy known picture of him? - That's the only known picture.
- How absolutely terrifying.
- And everything they thought they knew Will be rewritten.
- Oh, my god.
- What? - This is a story that's getting good! - [laughs.]
- yes.
- Gettysburg? - Gettysburg.
- That's history right there.
- It sure is.
- Lives will be changed.
- My name is lisa kudrow and I think we are related.
- Roots will be discovered.
- Amazing.
This is incredible.
- This is it.
This is where it all began.
- It all started here.
- Because to know who you are, You have to know where you came from.
- It's like learning that there's something different In your being than what you always thought.
- I have found what I was looking for.
- So do you know who you are? - Oh, yeah, I've always known who I am, But now I know more.
- It's changed everything about Who I thought I was.
Everything.
- Tonight, brooke shields will explore The two sides of her divided family.
- Oh, my god.
- She'll uncover a family mystery.
- My mom never Talked about it.
- That will help her understand a lifetime of resentment.
- I think my grandmother was horrible to my mother.
I hated her.
I want to try to find a better place in my heart.
- Her search will lead her centuries back.
- Can you imagine living here? - Where she'll uncover the shock of her life.
- This man is your first cousin.
That's wild! - Brooke shields, movie star and model, Is a native new yorker.
Brooke lives in new york city with her husband chris And their two daughters, rowan and grier.
- We've, um, been lucky enough To build a great family life here in the city.
But growing up for me, things were very different.
Although I was close to both of my parents, They were divorced by the time I was five months old.
My dad frank remarried and eventually moved to florida.
He died in 2003.
I basically grew up with my mom teri, Who had dabbled in modeling herself.
And she got me into the business by the time I was just 11 months old.
The modeling led to movies and television and theater.
They were the antithesis of one another-- As with this picture, split down the middle.
On one side, my dad, there was aristocracy And sort of old money and park avenue.
And then my mom's side, which was working class And saving every dime and not spending anything.
And there was always a difference between the two And I never knew where I belonged.
Until recently, I hadn't thought of Exploring my family history.
But then suddenly, Everything was put into perspective.
I've been alone all my life, in a way.
I've sort of been this singular person, You know, with my mom, my parents were divorced.
When 9/11 happened, I was on broadway Performing in cabaret.
So there was that career part of me and the-- And sort of the ambition, and I didn't want to admit That anything existed before me.
It all--world started when I came here.
And all of a sudden, Everything came to a halt.
So many families lost everything.
I just thought, "my god.
" And that made me really think about Blood being thicker than water, Something I never wanted to believe.
All of a sudden, I was keenly aware of what I wanted to learn About who I was.
I'm now about to go on this journey To find out where I came from.
And it's a little scary.
- Brooke is beginning the search Into her divided family In her mother's home state of new jersey.
- I haven't been back for a long time.
My early connection with new jersey I've blanked out.
If you ask me about new jersey, I will just say, "oh, I went to college in new jersey.
" I was a french literature major.
I have replaced all memories of new jersey With my education.
I don't know anything about my grandmother's life, Her family, her parents.
My mom wanted a different life.
The minute she could, she left newark.
That was something my grandmother never could do.
I think my grandmother was horrible to my mother.
And I started disliking her at a very young age.
The more I resented her mother.
I just, I want to like my grandmother.
What made her the type of person Who gets bitter, and sad, and afraid, and not-- You know, what was in her character that-- That came from her upbringing? All I know about my grandmother is that She had a sister, lillian.
My grandmother, theresa dollinger, Was born in 1908, And my grandmother's younger sister lillian in 1915.
I'm meeting michelle chubenko, a genealogist With a specialty in new jersey ancestry.
She's going to help me find the birth certificates Of my grandmother theresa and her sister lillian.
- All right.
- I'm hoping they might give me some clues About my grandmother's early life.
- Oh.
- Oh! Doll-- Ooh, ooh, ooh, wait, wait.
Theresa.
My grandmother's birth certificate Doesn't tell me much.
All it really tells me is that her mom's name is ida And she was born in newark like my mom.
But what about her sister lillian's birth certificate? Born the 26th of December, Wait.
Number of children in all by this marriage, four? So my grandmother had three siblings.
Which just-- I've only known her to have one sibling.
I'm just in shock that there were two more siblings.
I've never heard of these other brothers Or sisters before.
But michelle has found their birth certificates.
- So john.
- There was a john william dollinger.
Okay, so that's john.
So there was a girl, a boy, a girl.
- Okay, but you're gonna need to make room Between these two because There's an edward william.
- Edward.
- Mm-hmm.
- So my grandmother theresa's two younger brothers Were john, born in 1910, And edward born in 1914.
Number of children living, two.
- Mm-hmm.
So we know she's alive, so he had to have died.
- Edward's birth certificate reveals that John had already died in infancy By the time edward was born.
I can understand why my grandmother Never mentioned john.
She was so young when he died.
But what about edward? And now there's this boy, this second boy, Edward william dollinger, younger than my grandmother.
But doesn't seem to die because by the time We get to lillian, the numbers still make sense.
- Mm-hmm.
- Okay.
I want to know edward now.
I want to know this guy.
I want to find out where-- [laughs.]
I want to get in there now, I want to-- This is--it's just, You feel like you're a detective of some kind.
- Brooke discovers a tragedy that brings her closer To understanding her grandmother After years of resentment.
- This is deep loss.
- Brooke traces her father's roots To an italian palace.
- Oh, my gosh! Can you imagine living here? - Brooke shields has always felt caught Between the two sides of her family.
She's searching through her family history To try to bring them together.
So far, she's discovered her grandmother theresa Had two siblings brooke knew nothing about.
- I'm just in shock that there were two more siblings.
- One died in infancy.
The other, edward, grew up with theresa Today, brooke's in their old neighborhood Trying to learn more about her grandmother's life And make sense of the woman she knew.
- My grandmother and my mom really didn't get along.
So it's the first time that I've been back Since I was a child.
I'm meeting newark historian tom mccabe, Who's going to show me around.
- I think one of the great views of newark Is just down here.
This is ferry street, The spine, the nerve center of this immigrant neighborhood.
And I found this picture from 1910, Which, as you can see-- - This is the same view! Okay, so this was taken in 1910.
My grandmother-- where was my grandmother? - At this period in time, just over your right shoulder, She would have been living right over here At the corner store.
- At easy pickins? - At easy pickins.
- She was living at easy pickins? - Yes.
- So this is, uh, you know, a streetscape That she would have been very familiar with.
- Oh, that's amazing.
- Two of her siblings were born across the street Here at 148 1/2.
Uh, it is now the banco popular.
Lillian and edward were born right across the street.
- Were born right across the street! - They moved around quite a bit, 12 times in 12 years.
Those at the lower part of the economic ladder Are gonna be the most vulnerable, The most insecure.
Out of necessity.
- My mom left newark when she was very young And I grew up in a very different world Than my grandmother.
I really am beginning to understand How hard it must have been for her.
I'm meeting michelle chubenko.
She's found out more about theresa and her brother edward.
- I did additional research, And I want to share those documents with you today.
- Okay.
- This is ida's death certificate.
So this was theresa's mom.
- Date of death, January 12, 1919? - Yes.
- She died at 38.
- She died of cancer.
Uterine cancer.
- Uterine cancer.
At 38.
God.
So my grandmother lost her mother when she was-- - Ten.
- Ten.
That'll do it.
- That'll do it.
- My grandmother then really did have to be a parent to-- - To her younger sibling.
- From the time that she was-- That my grandmother was a little kid, She had to be an adult.
- Yeah.
- Really be an adult.
We have a certificate of death for edward.
- Oh, my god.
This is him.
Accidental drowning while she was taking care of him, Presumably, where she was-- there was no mom.
- There was no--yeah.
- There was no mom.
13 years old, one month, 15 days.
- Yes.
- Trade profession: Schoolboy.
- Mm-hmm.
- That's--wow.
My, my, my.
Okay.
[clears throat.]
Her younger brother that she was a mother to For eight years, basically.
So it's like she lost a son as well as a brother.
- Yeah.
- And she didn't have anything.
This is deep loss.
Your heart, then, Just goes out to her, you know? Michelle gave me an article on edward's drowning, So I've come to the very spot where the incident occurred.
"the drowning of edward dollinger "of 215 north 4th street "was attributed to the heat.
"he and other boys, pupils of lincoln school, "had gone in bathing in the passaic river.
"dollinger could not swim.
"as he was sinking, joseph weznick "grabbed him but lost his hold.
"the body was recovered by the police Near the scene of the drowning.
" Loss after loss after loss.
It takes a toll on, you know, your soul.
I don't think she could have ever healed From all of these wounds, one after the other.
I understand my grandmother now.
I understand how she could resent my mother.
She was the oldest and she then Had to take care of the family.
My mom was the oldest and she ran away.
I have empathy for her and I-- And I don't mind having it.
- Brooke traces her father's family To reveal an incredible heritage Of european aristocracy.
- Just extraordinary.
Oh! - Brooke shields started her search Into her mother's side of the family Angry with her grandmother.
- What made her the type of person who gets bitter? - But she discovered that her childhood Was filled with hardship.
- My grandmother lost her mother when she was-- - Ten.
- Ten.
God.
- Now that she has a better understanding Of her maternal grandmother, Very different family history.
- My dad died in 2003, And we never really spoke much about His side of the family.
I do know that they were aristocrats.
I do know that his mother was named marina torlonia, And that supposedly is a big name in rome.
Some italian-- Um, I don't know if it's nobility, I have no real idea.
I've seen snippets of pictures, But I really want to know how far they go back, And really where my father came from.
I've come to the new york historical society To explore my italian roots.
I'm meeting genealogist gary boyd roberts.
Hi.
He's prepared a torlonia family tree for me.
Oh, my god.
He shows me that one branch traces the torlonia line All the way back through my grandmother To a giovanni torlonia, an 18th-century banker.
- This one is a banker to the vatican.
- Wow.
How fascinating.
Really? - Yes, they made so much money, They could marry into the high nobility.
But we haven't gone any further up here.
- That's right.
- His father-- So he was basically-- well, he's a clock merchant.
And then-- - and that is-- - So it stops there? - Yes.
His origin is really unknown.
It's thought that he may have changed the name.
Torlonia is not an ancient italian name.
- Ooh.
Where did they come from to get to there? You know, I mean, you found the bank, But where was his father? And where did his mother come from? I want to know what came before marino torlonia.
- Brooke is traveling to Italy And its capital city of rome, Where her ancestor giovanni torlonia Was the banker to the vatican.
In the 18th century, Rome was one of the most important cities in europe, A center of religion, culture, and trade.
- So I've come to rome to find out more about My father's side of the family, the torlonias.
I wonder how they got so powerful.
I would love it if I could have told him Something that he didn't know.
You know, 'cause I really don't know I think, more than anything, I think he would have been proud that I cared To do this, to make this effort.
I found out that my italian Great-great-great-great grandfather, giovanni torlonia, Bought his way into the italian nobility.
Now I want to know how he was able to do it.
I'm going to start with torlonia's origins.
I know giovanni and his father marino Started off as cloth merchants.
A professor at the university of rome, Daniela felisini, Who's written a book about the history of the torlonias, Has asked me to meet her here on via condotti.
So what do we have here? What is the-- That little bank grew into a big bank.
- Yes, yes.
- Okay.
Right.
He also got lucky.
At the end of the 18th century, When giovanni was establishing the bank, Napoleon and the french army conquered northern Italy, Creating an opportunity that giovanni took advantage of.
- First private bank.
God, he's a smart guy.
Oh, really? Now I want daniela to show me where my ancestors lived.
Oh, my god, it's beautiful.
Oh, my gosh! It's like a-- Well, it is A palace.
This is the ballroom? Just extraordinary.
Look at the carving.
All the angels and all of the-- Oh! Oh, my god.
Oh, my gosh.
It's just stunning.
I'm intrigued about his origins.
What did he come from that he was able to be That focused, that ambitious, and that smart? And you have to have a certain kind of character, And I wonder where he came from Daniela has discovered a document On giovanni's father, marino, That might finally tell me where the torlonias came from.
So he's french origin.
- Yes.
- That is fascinating to me.
I'm shocked at that.
There's this other side of my brain Which is just so french, so comfortable in France.
I even majored in french literature.
So maybe that was it.
Somewhere deep inside, I knew that there was a-- Something in my, In my makeup that came from France.
Now I want to go farther back and find out Where he came from.
- Brooke follows her ancestors deep into France.
- This is where it all began.
He left this to find a new world.
- Brooke shields has never felt like she belonged To either side of her divided family.
When she started this search, She thought her father's side was italian.
But now she's just discovered She may have very strong french roots.
She's headed to the village of augerolles, In a remote region of central France On the trail of her ancestor, marino torlonia.
- To go from a cloth merchant to a successful banker-- I want to know what made him so driven.
Where does that come from? Where does it start? And where's the germ of that? What was his childhood like? Where were his parents? And why leave France? I'm hoping that historian carene rabilloud Will be able to tell me if marino torlonia Was actually born here.
Was he born here? Did he just come here? How-- You're telling me they're french? - Yes.
- Like french french.
- French french, yes.
Really french.
- Really french, okay.
- Yes.
- Not just in name, but in blood.
- Yes.
- Okay, wow.
Well, so he is-- he was born here in France.
That's amazing.
So marino torlonia Was actually born marin torlonias In rural France in 1725.
So how did-- how did marin get to rome? Carene told me a fascinating story To be under house arrest for evidently being a spy.
Marin helped mastermind the escape.
They went all through europe hiding in various churches And ending up in rome.
That's when marin changed his name to marino And basically my italian heritage Now begins in rome.
So let's go back a little bit.
His parents stayed here.
- Yes.
- Here? - In marat.
- Hah! - Yes.
- You did? You found the house? - Yes.
The house.
- Okay! - The house.
- Wow.
- Of the family torlonias.
- So I think dad would have been Very excited about this.
[imitating father.]
you went all the way out there? What did you do that for? [laughs.]
And then-- but he'd love it.
He'd love it.
Maybe I'll get to tell him one day.
[laughs.]
We're going to where marin's parents lived.
This is the house that he most likely lived With his parents and his siblings.
This is it.
This is the house that he lived in Almost 300 years ago before he left for Italy.
It's very simple, humble beginnings.
But how enterprising To start here and end up Arguably one of the most powerful families In rome.
I like that this is where he started, And then when you look at the palace and the museum And how opulent giovanni made that And how he went-- I mean, basically, He came from this.
I'm shocked of the french origin of all of this.
Maybe it's a long shot, But why would I have decided to study french Of all things, you know, at college? And so it's kind of exciting to see that Between me and that language and my ancestry.
I mean, I feel linked to this family.
And it's-- it's a great feeling Because I never knew any of it existed.
- Brooke discovers a royal connection Greater than she could have ever imagined.
- 'cause she was born at the palais du louvre.
Palais de-- the louvre? She was born in the louvre? That's wild! - Brooke shields' search through Her father's side of the family Has taken her from new york to Italy, Where she discovered that her ancestors, the torlonias, Were originally french peasants that worked their way up.
Their success allowed them To marry into italian aristocracy.
- The scroll I was given has been invaluable.
I found out all I can about the torlonias.
Now I'm using it to explore another branch Of my father's family that stretches back More than 400 years.
Is an intriguing figure, christine marie.
She has the title underneath her of madame royale.
Um, sort of want to know How is she connected to all this.
She's the only one that has the word "royale" After her name, so-- And not being satisfied without the least bit Of royal blood in my veins, I must find out about her.
Okay, christine marie-- marie de France.
Okay, she was born in-- At the palais du louvre.
Palais de-- the louvre? She was born in the louvre? Is that possible? Can you be born in the louvre? The palais du louvre in paris On the right bank of the seine Is a former royal palace.
So she was born in the louvre.
That's wild! [laughs.]
So there is royal blood in there.
We need to go to chez marie.
Aka the louvre.
[laughs.]
- To unravel the mystery of her royal ancestors, Brooke shields has come to the louvre, The former royal palace, One of the most famous museums in the world.
- Hello, there.
- Hi.
Pleasure, thank you.
- She's meeting expert genealogist charles mosley, Whose specialty is royal families.
- That's christine, or christine marie up there.
Madame royale.
- Christine marie, she was born in the louvre.
- She was born in the louvre.
And there's a document here Detailing her baptism.
Her father was henry iv, your ancestor.
Do you know who henry iv was? Apart from the fact that he was the king of France.
- Not much more than that he was the king of France.
- Well, he is the founder of the bourbon dynasty, Which everybody thinks of as the classic french dynasty Because it remained the french dynasty Until the revolution.
And he was a great lover.
He had many mistresses, many illegitimate children.
But he also continued the line of the kings of France, Which was very important in those days.
And henry iv and his successors Were the greatest experts in building up the prestige Which is why France still retains Its terrific prestige that it does today.
Where we're sitting now is a huge building Overlooking a vast courtyard much bigger than Anything we have in britain.
And it is the great palace in which henry iv, Your ancestor, lived.
- Wow.
- This is saint-denis.
It's where the remains of the kings of France Are kept in sort of honorable retirement.
Here we are.
- Okay.
- This chamber here contains the hearts Of some of the kings of France.
Your ancestor, henry iv, he is on the far right.
Yes, indeed.
- Ooh, god.
- There.
- Gonna get in trouble.
But I have to do it.
- Yeah, I think you're-- no, no, no.
I--I--well, I don't know.
- Whoo! - If anybody's entitled to it, it's your property More than anybody else's around here.
- I've just touched henry iv's heart.
It's just extraordinary that this even exists, And the fact that there's a connection That I honestly have to it.
It just keeps getting better.
Like, I keep thinking, "oh, this is the culmination of it," you know.
It can't be better than this.
What more could possibly be revealed to me? I--I-- At this point, I've stopped even trying To figure it out, I can't imagine.
- And this man is your first cousin.
- [laughs.]
That's, that's--I-- that's all too much.
- The search through brooke shields' family tree Has taken her from new york and new jersey To the aristocrats of Italy and the kings of France.
She's just discovered She's directly related to king henry iv.
But according to royal genealogist charles mosley, Her royal ancestry doesn't end there.
- Here's henry iv, your ancestor, Who I hope you're not yet bored with.
- Oh, no.
- Um, but yet another depiction of him, Perhaps the best of the lot Inasmuch as it's three-dimensional.
And now let us turn to his much more famous grandson, Louis xiv.
He built this vast palace in which we are now, versailles.
This man, the most powerful king of his time, Perhaps of all time, certainly the greatest, Most glorious king in european history, - I--I-- that's all too much.
No matter where you turn, I'm connected somehow.
- Exactly, you're connected.
- I am connected.
I do feel connected.
You made me feel-- - You're even more connected as you'll find out in a minute.
That is the battle of taillebourg, Won by saint louis, your direct ancestor.
So you're looking at about 25 generations back from you.
He is the french king from whom henry iv descends.
He is the father of all those kings of France.
And on top of that, he's a saint.
Not that usual for a king to be a saint.
- It's extraordinary.
- Yeah.
Yesterday, you were looking at The small remains of your ancestor.
Today you're seeing a pictorial representation.
A representation that brings out the drama, The glory, and I suppose one has to say The glamour.
- And the passion.
- Oh, yes, absolutely.
- Wow.
It's--that's fascinating to me, it's fascinating.
- Well, how do you feel, then? - Um, now--now I'm awestruck.
- It's pretty impressive.
I mean, I've-- I've come across quite a few Extraordinary genealogical links.
A saint, and you have a great king, And you've got philip ii, who's not a bad king, Charles the v, a great emperor, Ferdinand, another emperor.
You've got it all.
- I've got it all.
- Everything.
- [laughs.]
I'm not sure what to do with it, but-- - Well, guard it carefully.
- Enjoy it, I will, I guard it.
I will guard it with my heart.
This has been an amazing exploration Of both sides of my family.
It's taken me from the ironbound section Of new jersey to the palace of versailles.
Being able to sort of find your place In the grand scheme of things, There's something empowering about it.
I used to feel that I was always sort of One foot in each door, sort of straddling this fence.
The fascinating thing is, by going on this journey, I feel much more complete as a person.
It's been very freeing to me to realize That I don't have to solely come from one side.
- I just got lost every river that I tried to cross every door I ever tried was locked oh, and I'm just waiting till the shine wears off - I'm just looking forward to imparting what I've learned And telling my children where we all came from.
And even if they don't fully understand it now, This'll be a huge piece of their puzzle.
I do feel part of something bigger, And now the desire that I have To share it with my daughters is even stronger.
They will travel the world in search of their heritage.
- Ooh.
- Oh! - Family mysteries will be revealed.
- I had always thought she was dead.
- It's the oy known picture of him? - That's the only known picture.
- How absolutely terrifying.
- And everything they thought they knew Will be rewritten.
- Oh, my god.
- What? - This is a story that's getting good! - [laughs.]
- yes.
- Gettysburg? - Gettysburg.
- That's history right there.
- It sure is.
- Lives will be changed.
- My name is lisa kudrow and I think we are related.
- Roots will be discovered.
- Amazing.
This is incredible.
- This is it.
This is where it all began.
- It all started here.
- Because to know who you are, You have to know where you came from.
- It's like learning that there's something different In your being than what you always thought.
- I have found what I was looking for.
- So do you know who you are? - Oh, yeah, I've always known who I am, But now I know more.
- It's changed everything about Who I thought I was.
Everything.
- Tonight, brooke shields will explore The two sides of her divided family.
- Oh, my god.
- She'll uncover a family mystery.
- My mom never Talked about it.
- That will help her understand a lifetime of resentment.
- I think my grandmother was horrible to my mother.
I hated her.
I want to try to find a better place in my heart.
- Her search will lead her centuries back.
- Can you imagine living here? - Where she'll uncover the shock of her life.
- This man is your first cousin.
That's wild! - Brooke shields, movie star and model, Is a native new yorker.
Brooke lives in new york city with her husband chris And their two daughters, rowan and grier.
- We've, um, been lucky enough To build a great family life here in the city.
But growing up for me, things were very different.
Although I was close to both of my parents, They were divorced by the time I was five months old.
My dad frank remarried and eventually moved to florida.
He died in 2003.
I basically grew up with my mom teri, Who had dabbled in modeling herself.
And she got me into the business by the time I was just 11 months old.
The modeling led to movies and television and theater.
They were the antithesis of one another-- As with this picture, split down the middle.
On one side, my dad, there was aristocracy And sort of old money and park avenue.
And then my mom's side, which was working class And saving every dime and not spending anything.
And there was always a difference between the two And I never knew where I belonged.
Until recently, I hadn't thought of Exploring my family history.
But then suddenly, Everything was put into perspective.
I've been alone all my life, in a way.
I've sort of been this singular person, You know, with my mom, my parents were divorced.
When 9/11 happened, I was on broadway Performing in cabaret.
So there was that career part of me and the-- And sort of the ambition, and I didn't want to admit That anything existed before me.
It all--world started when I came here.
And all of a sudden, Everything came to a halt.
So many families lost everything.
I just thought, "my god.
" And that made me really think about Blood being thicker than water, Something I never wanted to believe.
All of a sudden, I was keenly aware of what I wanted to learn About who I was.
I'm now about to go on this journey To find out where I came from.
And it's a little scary.
- Brooke is beginning the search Into her divided family In her mother's home state of new jersey.
- I haven't been back for a long time.
My early connection with new jersey I've blanked out.
If you ask me about new jersey, I will just say, "oh, I went to college in new jersey.
" I was a french literature major.
I have replaced all memories of new jersey With my education.
I don't know anything about my grandmother's life, Her family, her parents.
My mom wanted a different life.
The minute she could, she left newark.
That was something my grandmother never could do.
I think my grandmother was horrible to my mother.
And I started disliking her at a very young age.
The more I resented her mother.
I just, I want to like my grandmother.
What made her the type of person Who gets bitter, and sad, and afraid, and not-- You know, what was in her character that-- That came from her upbringing? All I know about my grandmother is that She had a sister, lillian.
My grandmother, theresa dollinger, Was born in 1908, And my grandmother's younger sister lillian in 1915.
I'm meeting michelle chubenko, a genealogist With a specialty in new jersey ancestry.
She's going to help me find the birth certificates Of my grandmother theresa and her sister lillian.
- All right.
- I'm hoping they might give me some clues About my grandmother's early life.
- Oh.
- Oh! Doll-- Ooh, ooh, ooh, wait, wait.
Theresa.
My grandmother's birth certificate Doesn't tell me much.
All it really tells me is that her mom's name is ida And she was born in newark like my mom.
But what about her sister lillian's birth certificate? Born the 26th of December, Wait.
Number of children in all by this marriage, four? So my grandmother had three siblings.
Which just-- I've only known her to have one sibling.
I'm just in shock that there were two more siblings.
I've never heard of these other brothers Or sisters before.
But michelle has found their birth certificates.
- So john.
- There was a john william dollinger.
Okay, so that's john.
So there was a girl, a boy, a girl.
- Okay, but you're gonna need to make room Between these two because There's an edward william.
- Edward.
- Mm-hmm.
- So my grandmother theresa's two younger brothers Were john, born in 1910, And edward born in 1914.
Number of children living, two.
- Mm-hmm.
So we know she's alive, so he had to have died.
- Edward's birth certificate reveals that John had already died in infancy By the time edward was born.
I can understand why my grandmother Never mentioned john.
She was so young when he died.
But what about edward? And now there's this boy, this second boy, Edward william dollinger, younger than my grandmother.
But doesn't seem to die because by the time We get to lillian, the numbers still make sense.
- Mm-hmm.
- Okay.
I want to know edward now.
I want to know this guy.
I want to find out where-- [laughs.]
I want to get in there now, I want to-- This is--it's just, You feel like you're a detective of some kind.
- Brooke discovers a tragedy that brings her closer To understanding her grandmother After years of resentment.
- This is deep loss.
- Brooke traces her father's roots To an italian palace.
- Oh, my gosh! Can you imagine living here? - Brooke shields has always felt caught Between the two sides of her family.
She's searching through her family history To try to bring them together.
So far, she's discovered her grandmother theresa Had two siblings brooke knew nothing about.
- I'm just in shock that there were two more siblings.
- One died in infancy.
The other, edward, grew up with theresa Today, brooke's in their old neighborhood Trying to learn more about her grandmother's life And make sense of the woman she knew.
- My grandmother and my mom really didn't get along.
So it's the first time that I've been back Since I was a child.
I'm meeting newark historian tom mccabe, Who's going to show me around.
- I think one of the great views of newark Is just down here.
This is ferry street, The spine, the nerve center of this immigrant neighborhood.
And I found this picture from 1910, Which, as you can see-- - This is the same view! Okay, so this was taken in 1910.
My grandmother-- where was my grandmother? - At this period in time, just over your right shoulder, She would have been living right over here At the corner store.
- At easy pickins? - At easy pickins.
- She was living at easy pickins? - Yes.
- So this is, uh, you know, a streetscape That she would have been very familiar with.
- Oh, that's amazing.
- Two of her siblings were born across the street Here at 148 1/2.
Uh, it is now the banco popular.
Lillian and edward were born right across the street.
- Were born right across the street! - They moved around quite a bit, 12 times in 12 years.
Those at the lower part of the economic ladder Are gonna be the most vulnerable, The most insecure.
Out of necessity.
- My mom left newark when she was very young And I grew up in a very different world Than my grandmother.
I really am beginning to understand How hard it must have been for her.
I'm meeting michelle chubenko.
She's found out more about theresa and her brother edward.
- I did additional research, And I want to share those documents with you today.
- Okay.
- This is ida's death certificate.
So this was theresa's mom.
- Date of death, January 12, 1919? - Yes.
- She died at 38.
- She died of cancer.
Uterine cancer.
- Uterine cancer.
At 38.
God.
So my grandmother lost her mother when she was-- - Ten.
- Ten.
That'll do it.
- That'll do it.
- My grandmother then really did have to be a parent to-- - To her younger sibling.
- From the time that she was-- That my grandmother was a little kid, She had to be an adult.
- Yeah.
- Really be an adult.
We have a certificate of death for edward.
- Oh, my god.
This is him.
Accidental drowning while she was taking care of him, Presumably, where she was-- there was no mom.
- There was no--yeah.
- There was no mom.
13 years old, one month, 15 days.
- Yes.
- Trade profession: Schoolboy.
- Mm-hmm.
- That's--wow.
My, my, my.
Okay.
[clears throat.]
Her younger brother that she was a mother to For eight years, basically.
So it's like she lost a son as well as a brother.
- Yeah.
- And she didn't have anything.
This is deep loss.
Your heart, then, Just goes out to her, you know? Michelle gave me an article on edward's drowning, So I've come to the very spot where the incident occurred.
"the drowning of edward dollinger "of 215 north 4th street "was attributed to the heat.
"he and other boys, pupils of lincoln school, "had gone in bathing in the passaic river.
"dollinger could not swim.
"as he was sinking, joseph weznick "grabbed him but lost his hold.
"the body was recovered by the police Near the scene of the drowning.
" Loss after loss after loss.
It takes a toll on, you know, your soul.
I don't think she could have ever healed From all of these wounds, one after the other.
I understand my grandmother now.
I understand how she could resent my mother.
She was the oldest and she then Had to take care of the family.
My mom was the oldest and she ran away.
I have empathy for her and I-- And I don't mind having it.
- Brooke traces her father's family To reveal an incredible heritage Of european aristocracy.
- Just extraordinary.
Oh! - Brooke shields started her search Into her mother's side of the family Angry with her grandmother.
- What made her the type of person who gets bitter? - But she discovered that her childhood Was filled with hardship.
- My grandmother lost her mother when she was-- - Ten.
- Ten.
God.
- Now that she has a better understanding Of her maternal grandmother, Very different family history.
- My dad died in 2003, And we never really spoke much about His side of the family.
I do know that they were aristocrats.
I do know that his mother was named marina torlonia, And that supposedly is a big name in rome.
Some italian-- Um, I don't know if it's nobility, I have no real idea.
I've seen snippets of pictures, But I really want to know how far they go back, And really where my father came from.
I've come to the new york historical society To explore my italian roots.
I'm meeting genealogist gary boyd roberts.
Hi.
He's prepared a torlonia family tree for me.
Oh, my god.
He shows me that one branch traces the torlonia line All the way back through my grandmother To a giovanni torlonia, an 18th-century banker.
- This one is a banker to the vatican.
- Wow.
How fascinating.
Really? - Yes, they made so much money, They could marry into the high nobility.
But we haven't gone any further up here.
- That's right.
- His father-- So he was basically-- well, he's a clock merchant.
And then-- - and that is-- - So it stops there? - Yes.
His origin is really unknown.
It's thought that he may have changed the name.
Torlonia is not an ancient italian name.
- Ooh.
Where did they come from to get to there? You know, I mean, you found the bank, But where was his father? And where did his mother come from? I want to know what came before marino torlonia.
- Brooke is traveling to Italy And its capital city of rome, Where her ancestor giovanni torlonia Was the banker to the vatican.
In the 18th century, Rome was one of the most important cities in europe, A center of religion, culture, and trade.
- So I've come to rome to find out more about My father's side of the family, the torlonias.
I wonder how they got so powerful.
I would love it if I could have told him Something that he didn't know.
You know, 'cause I really don't know I think, more than anything, I think he would have been proud that I cared To do this, to make this effort.
I found out that my italian Great-great-great-great grandfather, giovanni torlonia, Bought his way into the italian nobility.
Now I want to know how he was able to do it.
I'm going to start with torlonia's origins.
I know giovanni and his father marino Started off as cloth merchants.
A professor at the university of rome, Daniela felisini, Who's written a book about the history of the torlonias, Has asked me to meet her here on via condotti.
So what do we have here? What is the-- That little bank grew into a big bank.
- Yes, yes.
- Okay.
Right.
He also got lucky.
At the end of the 18th century, When giovanni was establishing the bank, Napoleon and the french army conquered northern Italy, Creating an opportunity that giovanni took advantage of.
- First private bank.
God, he's a smart guy.
Oh, really? Now I want daniela to show me where my ancestors lived.
Oh, my god, it's beautiful.
Oh, my gosh! It's like a-- Well, it is A palace.
This is the ballroom? Just extraordinary.
Look at the carving.
All the angels and all of the-- Oh! Oh, my god.
Oh, my gosh.
It's just stunning.
I'm intrigued about his origins.
What did he come from that he was able to be That focused, that ambitious, and that smart? And you have to have a certain kind of character, And I wonder where he came from Daniela has discovered a document On giovanni's father, marino, That might finally tell me where the torlonias came from.
So he's french origin.
- Yes.
- That is fascinating to me.
I'm shocked at that.
There's this other side of my brain Which is just so french, so comfortable in France.
I even majored in french literature.
So maybe that was it.
Somewhere deep inside, I knew that there was a-- Something in my, In my makeup that came from France.
Now I want to go farther back and find out Where he came from.
- Brooke follows her ancestors deep into France.
- This is where it all began.
He left this to find a new world.
- Brooke shields has never felt like she belonged To either side of her divided family.
When she started this search, She thought her father's side was italian.
But now she's just discovered She may have very strong french roots.
She's headed to the village of augerolles, In a remote region of central France On the trail of her ancestor, marino torlonia.
- To go from a cloth merchant to a successful banker-- I want to know what made him so driven.
Where does that come from? Where does it start? And where's the germ of that? What was his childhood like? Where were his parents? And why leave France? I'm hoping that historian carene rabilloud Will be able to tell me if marino torlonia Was actually born here.
Was he born here? Did he just come here? How-- You're telling me they're french? - Yes.
- Like french french.
- French french, yes.
Really french.
- Really french, okay.
- Yes.
- Not just in name, but in blood.
- Yes.
- Okay, wow.
Well, so he is-- he was born here in France.
That's amazing.
So marino torlonia Was actually born marin torlonias In rural France in 1725.
So how did-- how did marin get to rome? Carene told me a fascinating story To be under house arrest for evidently being a spy.
Marin helped mastermind the escape.
They went all through europe hiding in various churches And ending up in rome.
That's when marin changed his name to marino And basically my italian heritage Now begins in rome.
So let's go back a little bit.
His parents stayed here.
- Yes.
- Here? - In marat.
- Hah! - Yes.
- You did? You found the house? - Yes.
The house.
- Okay! - The house.
- Wow.
- Of the family torlonias.
- So I think dad would have been Very excited about this.
[imitating father.]
you went all the way out there? What did you do that for? [laughs.]
And then-- but he'd love it.
He'd love it.
Maybe I'll get to tell him one day.
[laughs.]
We're going to where marin's parents lived.
This is the house that he most likely lived With his parents and his siblings.
This is it.
This is the house that he lived in Almost 300 years ago before he left for Italy.
It's very simple, humble beginnings.
But how enterprising To start here and end up Arguably one of the most powerful families In rome.
I like that this is where he started, And then when you look at the palace and the museum And how opulent giovanni made that And how he went-- I mean, basically, He came from this.
I'm shocked of the french origin of all of this.
Maybe it's a long shot, But why would I have decided to study french Of all things, you know, at college? And so it's kind of exciting to see that Between me and that language and my ancestry.
I mean, I feel linked to this family.
And it's-- it's a great feeling Because I never knew any of it existed.
- Brooke discovers a royal connection Greater than she could have ever imagined.
- 'cause she was born at the palais du louvre.
Palais de-- the louvre? She was born in the louvre? That's wild! - Brooke shields' search through Her father's side of the family Has taken her from new york to Italy, Where she discovered that her ancestors, the torlonias, Were originally french peasants that worked their way up.
Their success allowed them To marry into italian aristocracy.
- The scroll I was given has been invaluable.
I found out all I can about the torlonias.
Now I'm using it to explore another branch Of my father's family that stretches back More than 400 years.
Is an intriguing figure, christine marie.
She has the title underneath her of madame royale.
Um, sort of want to know How is she connected to all this.
She's the only one that has the word "royale" After her name, so-- And not being satisfied without the least bit Of royal blood in my veins, I must find out about her.
Okay, christine marie-- marie de France.
Okay, she was born in-- At the palais du louvre.
Palais de-- the louvre? She was born in the louvre? Is that possible? Can you be born in the louvre? The palais du louvre in paris On the right bank of the seine Is a former royal palace.
So she was born in the louvre.
That's wild! [laughs.]
So there is royal blood in there.
We need to go to chez marie.
Aka the louvre.
[laughs.]
- To unravel the mystery of her royal ancestors, Brooke shields has come to the louvre, The former royal palace, One of the most famous museums in the world.
- Hello, there.
- Hi.
Pleasure, thank you.
- She's meeting expert genealogist charles mosley, Whose specialty is royal families.
- That's christine, or christine marie up there.
Madame royale.
- Christine marie, she was born in the louvre.
- She was born in the louvre.
And there's a document here Detailing her baptism.
Her father was henry iv, your ancestor.
Do you know who henry iv was? Apart from the fact that he was the king of France.
- Not much more than that he was the king of France.
- Well, he is the founder of the bourbon dynasty, Which everybody thinks of as the classic french dynasty Because it remained the french dynasty Until the revolution.
And he was a great lover.
He had many mistresses, many illegitimate children.
But he also continued the line of the kings of France, Which was very important in those days.
And henry iv and his successors Were the greatest experts in building up the prestige Which is why France still retains Its terrific prestige that it does today.
Where we're sitting now is a huge building Overlooking a vast courtyard much bigger than Anything we have in britain.
And it is the great palace in which henry iv, Your ancestor, lived.
- Wow.
- This is saint-denis.
It's where the remains of the kings of France Are kept in sort of honorable retirement.
Here we are.
- Okay.
- This chamber here contains the hearts Of some of the kings of France.
Your ancestor, henry iv, he is on the far right.
Yes, indeed.
- Ooh, god.
- There.
- Gonna get in trouble.
But I have to do it.
- Yeah, I think you're-- no, no, no.
I--I--well, I don't know.
- Whoo! - If anybody's entitled to it, it's your property More than anybody else's around here.
- I've just touched henry iv's heart.
It's just extraordinary that this even exists, And the fact that there's a connection That I honestly have to it.
It just keeps getting better.
Like, I keep thinking, "oh, this is the culmination of it," you know.
It can't be better than this.
What more could possibly be revealed to me? I--I-- At this point, I've stopped even trying To figure it out, I can't imagine.
- And this man is your first cousin.
- [laughs.]
That's, that's--I-- that's all too much.
- The search through brooke shields' family tree Has taken her from new york and new jersey To the aristocrats of Italy and the kings of France.
She's just discovered She's directly related to king henry iv.
But according to royal genealogist charles mosley, Her royal ancestry doesn't end there.
- Here's henry iv, your ancestor, Who I hope you're not yet bored with.
- Oh, no.
- Um, but yet another depiction of him, Perhaps the best of the lot Inasmuch as it's three-dimensional.
And now let us turn to his much more famous grandson, Louis xiv.
He built this vast palace in which we are now, versailles.
This man, the most powerful king of his time, Perhaps of all time, certainly the greatest, Most glorious king in european history, - I--I-- that's all too much.
No matter where you turn, I'm connected somehow.
- Exactly, you're connected.
- I am connected.
I do feel connected.
You made me feel-- - You're even more connected as you'll find out in a minute.
That is the battle of taillebourg, Won by saint louis, your direct ancestor.
So you're looking at about 25 generations back from you.
He is the french king from whom henry iv descends.
He is the father of all those kings of France.
And on top of that, he's a saint.
Not that usual for a king to be a saint.
- It's extraordinary.
- Yeah.
Yesterday, you were looking at The small remains of your ancestor.
Today you're seeing a pictorial representation.
A representation that brings out the drama, The glory, and I suppose one has to say The glamour.
- And the passion.
- Oh, yes, absolutely.
- Wow.
It's--that's fascinating to me, it's fascinating.
- Well, how do you feel, then? - Um, now--now I'm awestruck.
- It's pretty impressive.
I mean, I've-- I've come across quite a few Extraordinary genealogical links.
A saint, and you have a great king, And you've got philip ii, who's not a bad king, Charles the v, a great emperor, Ferdinand, another emperor.
You've got it all.
- I've got it all.
- Everything.
- [laughs.]
I'm not sure what to do with it, but-- - Well, guard it carefully.
- Enjoy it, I will, I guard it.
I will guard it with my heart.
This has been an amazing exploration Of both sides of my family.
It's taken me from the ironbound section Of new jersey to the palace of versailles.
Being able to sort of find your place In the grand scheme of things, There's something empowering about it.
I used to feel that I was always sort of One foot in each door, sort of straddling this fence.
The fascinating thing is, by going on this journey, I feel much more complete as a person.
It's been very freeing to me to realize That I don't have to solely come from one side.
- I just got lost every river that I tried to cross every door I ever tried was locked oh, and I'm just waiting till the shine wears off - I'm just looking forward to imparting what I've learned And telling my children where we all came from.
And even if they don't fully understand it now, This'll be a huge piece of their puzzle.
I do feel part of something bigger, And now the desire that I have To share it with my daughters is even stronger.