Big Brother alum Jessica Nickson recently received life-changing news.
“This weekend, I had my whole world flip upside down,” Jessica, 35, wrote via Instagram on Monday, August 3, over a video of herself in the driver’s seat of her car. “At 35, I’m just finding out that the man I called ‘Dad’ my whole life is not my biological father.”
In the caption, the reality star explained, “It all started with an innocent 23andme test. Now, 3 DNA tests later, I find myself furious. You probably have a million questions. So do I. Not sure where to go from here.”
Fans and friends expressed their support — and some even shared their own similar stories — in the comments section.
“Oh baby! I am so sorry! The same thing happened to my mom 🤎,” one user wrote. “it changes nothing about your bond but I am so here for you on this journey!”
“That’s so difficult. This could be a blessing in a difficult confusing time,” another person commented. “I’m sure it might not seem that way right now though. My prayers are with you as you navigate through all this confusion. ❤️.”
Fellow Big Brother star Angela Rockstar commented, “Sending love, that is heavy, take it one day at a time, this information does not change who you are, or your story it just adds to it💖.”
In a series of follow-up videos shared via her Instagram Story on Tuesday, August 4, Jessica said she has been dealing with the situation for “a few months.”
“Someone in my family brought it to my attention,” she explained. “I laughed at first because it seemed absolutely mad. Just not possible. And we started digging into it further and doing testing. After three different tests giving the same response, I’m kind of slapped with a reality that I never thought I would have.”
Jessica insisted that this “doesn’t change how I feel about my father, the man who raised me.” However, it has also made her aware of “a truth” that she didn’t know about previously.
Jessica then recalled her father’s death, noting that it was the “hardest” thing she’s ever experienced.
“I think when you lose someone that close to you, there’s an innocence that’s taken from you. You just look at life so differently,” she added. “I believe with my whole heart that he did not know I was not his child.
Jessica gave a shoutout to her husband, Cody Nickson, whom she married in 2018, for his support as she processed the shocking news. (The pair share daughters Maverick, Carter, Italia, Atlas and Gemma. Cody, 41, is also father to daughter Paisley from a previous relationship.)
“Right now, I’m just experiencing spurts of emotion,” she added. “The world doesn’t stop turning because of this news. I still have responsibilities and things that need to be done.”
Jessica noted that she’s not sure if she’ll look for her biological father. Right now, she’s focusing on continuing to process the information.
“I don’t know the truth as far as who my dad is, and I’m still trying to figure out if I want to know,” she concluded.
Jessica rose to fame when she competed on Big Brother season 19 in 2017. She later won The Amazing Race season 30 in 2018 with Cody, whom she was dating at the time.
