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Brett Harrelson claims that he and his brother Woody Harrelson have yet to rule out that Matthew McConaughey is related to them.
Brett, 61, was approached by TMZ on Friday, January 24, who inquired further about the possible link to the Interstellar star. He told the outlet that he and Woody, 63, have been pressuring McConaughy, 55, to get a DNA test so they can find out the true answer once and for all.
This theory first began when Woody appeared on a 2023 episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. During the program, the three-time Oscar nominee addressed the topic, stating that there was a chance that he and McConaughey could be half-brothers. The real-life BFFs famously worked together on the first season of the hit HBO series, True Detective.
McConaughy backed the story up on a 2023 episode of Kelly Ripa’s podcast, stating that his mom Mary Kathlene McCabe, and Harrelson’s dad met in West Texas while she was getting divorced. Brett reiterated this during his 2025 interview, adding that McConaughy’s mom and the Harrelson’s dad definitely hooked up and that their canoodling timeline matches McConaughy’s age. However, McConaughy has also stated that he wasn’t keen on finding out that the man that he thought was his father his whole life wasn’t related to him. The man in question, James McConaughy, passed away in 1992.
While the mystery has yet to be solved, McConaughy and Woody will be sharing some brotherly time together, as the veteran actors will be appearing in the upcoming TV series, Brother From Another Mother. The story follows two Texas ranchers who put their friendship to the test as they attempt to live together.
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