Actress Amanda Seyfried recently experienced a shocking revelation about her family history while appearing on the PBS show "Finding Your Roots." She learned that her third great-grandfather, John P. Ebert, was tragically murdered in 1905.

Seyfried expressed disbelief as she read a contemporary newspaper account of the incident, detailing how Ebert was shot three times outside his home. The article described the assailant hiding near an outhouse before ambushing Ebert.

The "Mamma Mia" star was understandably saddened by the discovery and expressed sympathy for her third great-grandmother, also named Amanda, and their children. She had never heard the story before and voiced her outrage at the crime, calling for justice.

This incident echoes a similar experience for actress Julia Roberts, who discovered a surprising family secret on the same show in 2023. Roberts learned that her family name was not originally "Roberts" due to an affair in her ancestry. Her biological great-great-grandfather was revealed to be Henry McDonald Mitchell Jr., a revelation that left Roberts stunned.