Sharon Stone's mind was 'completely blown' after finding out she has royal roots on Wednesday.
The actress, 66, became emotional as she learned her relative is one of the most important people in history during an appearance on PBS's hit show Finding Your Roots.
Sharon was lost for words when host Henry Louis Gates Jr. revealed to Sharon: 'Charlemagne (the former king who transformed Europe) is your 38th great-grandfather. The first holy Roman Emperor. He was a mean dude.
'He's one of the most important people in history, of course, and he basically created modern Europe, with an iron will.'
Stone responded: 'If you want to see someone completely stunned, look at my face.'
Charlemagne, who towered at an astonishing 6ft 4in, reigned as King of the Franks from what is now France from AD 768 until his death in 814.
Also emperor of the Carolingian Empire, he shaped the character of medieval Europe and fathered at least 18 children - including Pippin the Hunchback and Charles the Younger.
His successful military campaigns in the eighth century saw him conquer Saxony and enforce the region's conversion to Christianity.
Sharon Stone 's mind was 'completely blown' after finding out she has royal roots on Wednesday
Charlemagne reigned as King of the Franks in what is now France from AD 768 until his death in 814
The ruler also invaded the kingdom of Lombards in what is now Italy and northern Spain, before turning his attentions to Bohemia (now the Czech Republic).
In the year 800, Charlemagne came to the aid of Pope Leo III as he tried to quell a rebellion.
As a token of thanks, Leo declared Charlemagne emperor of the Romans, a position that legitimised his rule over his Italian territories.
Besides his military prowess, Charlemagne successfully introduced administrative reforms and helped improve commerce by standardising weights, measures and customs.
By the time of his death, Charlemagne had earned the title of the 'Father of Europe', and his legacy lasted for centuries after he was gone.
Stone also discovered that her three times great-grandfather, George Greggs, emigrated from England to Pennsylvania to work as a coal miner.
He fought on the side of the Union during the American Civil War.
Her 31st-great-grandfather was Hugh Capet, a 10th century successor to Charlemagne who made Paris the centre of power in France.
Speaking about the shock revelation, Henry said: 'Sharon's family tree is dripping with history. Her third great-grandfather emigrated to Pennsylvania from England, became a coal miner, then served heroically in the Civil War, fighting in several major battles.
'When she learned that, she burst into tears. She learned that she descends from two French kings on her father's side, and her 31st great-grandfather, Hugh Capet, was the man who made Paris the center of power in France.
'Charlemagne, who was the founder of modern Europe, was her 38th great-grandfather. She just was flabbergasted, and so honoured. I think she has a Revolutionary War ancestor too.'
Stone is not the only celebrity to have discovered links to Charlemagne. In 2016, Sir Richard Branson boasted of the 'extraordinary family fact' of his link.
But geneticists have previously pointed out that a connection to Charlemagne is not actually that remarkable.
Expert Professor Adam Rutherford said in 2017 that 'literally everyone' from Europe has a direct lineage to Charlemagne - but celebrities are just more likely to have the means to prove it.
A depiction of Charlemagne being crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Leo III
The Oscar-winner, 66, became emotional as she learned her relative is one of the most important people in history during an appearance on PBS's hit show Finding Your Roots
Sharon was lost for words when host Henry Louis Gates Jr. revealed to Sharon: 'Charlemagne (the former king who transformed Europe) is your 38th great-grandfather. The first holy Roman Emperor. He was a mean dude'
He and a team at University College London worked on the notion that you have two parents, who also had two parents, and so on, working backwards to form an ever expanding family tree.
From this, they were able to work out that everyone living in Europe in the 10th century, and so before, was related to everyone who now lives on the same continent.
Professor Rutherford, who was speaking at the Chalke Valley History Festival, also pointed out that everyone is related to King Edward III.
He said: 'Literally every person in Europe is directly descended from Charlemagne. Literally, not metaphorically. You have a direct lineage which leads to Charlemagne.'
The expert added: 'Looking around this room, every single one of you... is directly descended between 21 and 24 generations from Edward III.'
Another celebrity to have boasted of a link to Charlemagne was late Lord of the Rings star Christopher Lee.
In 2010, at the age of 87, he released a heavy metal album called Charlemagne: By the Sword and the Cross.
Three years later, the Dracula actor's fourth and final album, Charlemagne: The Omens of Death, was released.
Stone's TV appearance comes after she was romantically linked to Kevin Costner.
DailyMail exclusively reported that Costner and Stone were getting 'flirty' at the Governors Awards on November 17.
Rumors suggest that the two even exchanged phone numbers at the gala, further igniting speculation about a blossoming romance.
'Sparks were flying, they exchanged numbers.' a source told InTouch on Wednesday.
The insider shared details of the encounter, noting that Sharon—who supported Kevin during his divorce from Christine Baumgartner in 2023—seemed to enjoy the attention, even throwing a playful wink his way.
Stone responded: 'If you want to see someone completely stunned, look at my face.
Finding Your Roots, which has been exploring celebrities' genealogies since 2012, uncovers fascinating insights, and Charlemagne's legacy as emperor is one of the most significant
The DailyMail source added more context to the exchange, saying, 'It definitely looked like they were hitting it off.'
The witness continued, ''They started off polite with small talk then he put on his Kevin Costner charm, you know, like the vibes he gave off in Bull Durham and Tin Cup, like heyyyy baby.'
'Sharon is such a class act, she handled the attention very well and was cute. She winked at him and was sweet.'
This comes months after the Basic Instinct sex symbol publicly defended Yellowstone actor Costner during his divorce with Christine Baumgartner.
'Sharon is such a class act, she handled the attention very well and was cute. She winked at him and was sweet.'
This comes months after the Basic Instinct sex symbol publicly defended Yellowstone actor Costner during his divorce with Christine Baumgartner.
After news broke that Baumgartner, 50, was demanding $160,000 a month in child support from Costner, Stone jumped to the Yellowstone star's defense, recalling her own tumultuous split from ex-husband Phil Bronstein.
In an emotional court hearing in August, Christine argued that their children—Cayden, 17, Hayes, 15, and Grace, 14—had grown accustomed to a life of luxury, claiming that their 'affluent lifestyle' was 'in their DNA.'
However, in a September ruling, Kevin was ordered to pay a much smaller sum—$63,209 per month—in child support, a fraction of the amount Christine had requested.
Christine's assertions were later highlighted in an Instagram post, where Sharon threw her support behind Kevin, leaving a telling comment: 'My ex thought the same.'
The TV appearance comes after Sharon was romantically linked to Kevin Costner
Sharon, who wed journalist Bronstein in 1998, is no stranger to high-profile divorces.
The couple, who adopted their son, Roan, in 2000, split in 2004, with Phil gaining full custody of Roan in 2008.
In the wake of Kevin’s divorce, rumors swirled linking him to singer Jewel, 50. However, both Kevin and Jewel have firmly denied any romantic involvement.
'Jewel and I are friends—we’ve never gone out. Ever,' Kevin clarified during a June appearance on The Howard Stern Show.
'She’s special, and I don’t want these rumors to ruin our friendship because that’s what we have.'
