Introduction
A recent revelation from Rory Feek’s daughter, Hope, has stirred conversations online, as she openly shared the discovery of her biological father. The news, initially shared on social media, has prompted a heartfelt response from Rory himself, addressing the many questions fans have about this unexpected development.
Fans have largely expressed overwhelming support for Hope and Rory, with many comments emphasizing that “blood is DNA, family is heart.” The sentiment resonates deeply, highlighting the profound bond that transcends biological ties.
Hope, 36, is Rory’s middle daughter, with her older sister Heidi being 2 years her senior and half-sister Indiana born in 2014. She recently took to Instagram to reveal that a DNA test confirmed a long-held suspicion by her mother. “Turns out this is my dad, not the one that everyone knows,” Hope shared, introducing “BC” as her biological father. She expressed how “strange” it is to discover how much alike they are, having grown “really close” over the past six months.
Rory Feek, a former Marine, shared his perspective in a blog post titled “A Different Dad.” He recounted how, upon Hope’s birth in January 1988, he believed she was two weeks premature. A doctor’s comment about her being “pretty developed” for an early arrival, and later, the doctor clarifying she was “two weeks late,” sowed a seed of doubt. Though his then-wife, Tamara, insisted Hope was his, Rory largely put the matter aside, especially as he ended up raising both Hope and Heidi alone after their mother’s departure.
In his 2017 biography, “This Life I Live,” Rory candidly discussed his first marriage, admitting he was a “lousy husband” and unfaithful. He acknowledged that his wife also strayed, but he took “complete blame for the failure of the marriage.”
In the last year or two, Hope reconnected with her birth mother, who then revealed the truth about Hope’s biological father, BC. Within 24 hours of learning the news, BC was at Hope’s house to embrace her, an experience she described as never having “experienced unconditional love like that before.”
This new chapter in Hope’s life follows her public coming out as gay, which Rory, as a devout Christian, admitted in 2018 was initially difficult for him to accept. In his book, he has often described Hope as different from her sister, noting that while Heidi is “deep in thought,” Hope is “the most how I’d like to be.”
Rory’s recent blog post, published on February 11th, reflects his trademark honesty and emotion. He shared his excitement when Hope called him recently, and reiterated that this new information does not change his feelings for her. “I love you as my daughter and I always will,” he wrote, expressing disappointment and sadness that it took three decades for the truth to emerge, but primarily hurting for Hope and her mother.
Hope also shared her side, emphasizing her positive reconnection with her birth mother this past year, learning “just how much she loves me and how much she want to be a part of my life but never really could.” Though it’s been six months since Hope learned the truth, she and her biological father are growing closer, and he calls her his daughter, a gesture Rory applauds.
Rory concluded his blog post with a reflection on life’s challenges, particularly in marriage and parenting. He believes that “every day we get the opportunity to change and to grow and become what we wish we could have and should have been before – to be different dads and moms and husbands and wives than we were before.”