Country Star Rory Feek’s Daughter Reveals He’s Not Her Biological Father, Slams Musician

A surprise DNA test has sparked tensions between country singer Rory Feek and his daughter Hopie, who recently discovered the musician who raised her is not her biological father. The revelation, shared by Hopie in an Instagram video on Feb. 8, has led to a public dispute after Rory published personal family details in response.

“I’ve always felt a little bit different — and now I know why,” Hopie, 36, explained in her initial video announcement. After taking a 23andMe test, she learned her biological father is a man identified as B.C., with whom she’s “gotten really close” over the past six months. She added, “There’s so much more love to my story than I ever thought there was,” noting that she had “reconnected with my mom last year and she’s freaking awesome.”

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A post shared by Hopie Feek (@hopiefeek01)

The situation escalated on Feb. 11 when Rory, 59, published a blog post titled “A Different Dad,” detailing their first meeting in a year. “I had no idea what she wanted to talk with me about. And honestly, it didn’t matter to me. I just wanted to see her,” Rory wrote. “To have the opportunity to look into her eyes and her look into mine, with hopes that she might realize that we aren’t enemies. And that I love her deeply.”

In the post, Rory revealed he had suspicions about Hopie’s paternity, noting details about her birth timing in relation to his Marine deployment. While he wrote that he told her “this news and this blood test doesn’t change anything for me. ‘I love you as my daughter and I always will,’” he also disclosed personal information about his previous marriage to Hopie’s mother.

Hopie quickly condemned her father’s public response. “When I had the conversation with Rory, my one request was for him to be kind and not shame my mom,” she wrote on Instagram. “Today, he shared her private history in his blog, which is extremely disappointing.” She added that while she’s “really not a public person,” her “private life becomes content for his fans (who are often unkind online)” because of Rory’s celebrity status.

The DNA revelation comes amid existing family tensions. Hopie and her sister Heidi, 38, have been in disagreement with their father over access to their half-sister Indiana, 10, whom Rory shared with his late wife Joey. “I really just want to be able to be in my little sister’s life and I can’t. I’m trying to do the right thing,” Heidi previously told PEOPLE.

Hopie also expressed regret about previously sharing her bisexuality with her father, suggesting he exploited the information for his 2017 memoir. After sharing a clip of him narrating the chapter about her sexuality, she stated, “Now looking back on it, I feel like he just used my story to sell his books.”

As the family drama unfolds publicly, Hopie emphasized her desire for privacy: “I shared my story because I couldn’t keep the secret all to myself anymore… From now on, I just wish my stories could be my own to tell and share. I want to move forward and find happiness with the people who love me, far away from this online hate.”