This ’60s TV Legend Sparked Confusion Over Her Son’s 3 Famous Possible Dads – 25 Years Later, He Confirmed His Biological Father via a DNA Test

She once married a man she had just met, and the marriage ended after 13 days. Years later, her son formed close bonds with three different men he believed could be his father. A DNA test eventually settled the question that had lingered for over two decades.

Within the span of a year, an actress experienced significant upheaval in her personal life. She went through a divorce, married a stranger for less than two weeks, and became romantically involved with a teenager. During this same period, she conceived her first child, and any one of these men could have been his biological father.

The uncertainty surrounding the child’s paternity became a widely followed story, drawing intense interest from both the public and the press. Over the years, the actress identified each of the three men as the father at different times. Ultimately, her son decided to take a DNA test to resolve the question.

Early Fame and Personal Struggles

Born Anna Marie Duke on December 14, 1946, in Elmhurst, New York, the actress began her career as a child. She rose to national fame at age 16 for her role as Helen Keller in the 1962 film “The Miracle Worker,” which earned her an Academy Award.

She later starred in the 1960s television series “The Patty Duke Show,” playing identical teenage cousins, and went on to appear in films including “Valley of the Dolls” and “Me, Natalie.” Behind her professional success, she faced significant challenges.

After being placed under the care of managers John and Ethel Ross as a child, she was isolated from her mother and instructed to change her name. At age 12, she was told to lie before a grand jury during the quiz show scandal of the 1950s, though she later recanted before a House subcommittee.

By age 18, she separated from the Rosses and married Harry Falk Jr., a 32-year-old assistant director on “The Patty Duke Show,” in 1965. The marriage ended in divorce in 1970. Around the same time, she experienced a public emotional breakdown during the televised Emmy Awards ceremony.

Although there was speculation linking her behavior to substance abuse, she later explained it was the result of a severe emotional crisis.

In the months that followed her divorce, a series of rapid personal decisions — including a new relationship and an unexpected marriage — set the stage for the paternity questions that would remain unresolved for decades.

A Forbidden Romance and a 13-Day Marriage

In March 1970, not long after her divorce, the actress began a relationship with 17-year-old Desi Arnaz Jr. Their involvement drew public attention, especially after Desi’s mother, Lucille Ball, openly opposed the relationship. Despite the scrutiny, the two continued seeing each other on and off for several months.

In June 1970, she impulsively married Michael Tell, a man who had been subletting her apartment in Las Vegas. The decision came during a manic episode, and just before the wedding, she discovered she was pregnant. The marriage began on June 26, 1970, and was annulled 13 days later, on July 9, 1970.

Her son was born on February 25, 1971, and questions about his paternity began almost immediately. Behind the scenes, she had also been involved with another man — an actor whose connection to her would further complicate the paternity story.

A Secret Relationship and a Father by Adoption

Following the end of her second marriage, the actress entered into a relationship with actor John Astin. They kept it private because John was married at the time. Once she gave birth to her son, it was publicly assumed that Desi was the child’s biological father, due to the visibility of their earlier relationship.

After John’s divorce was finalized, the actress and John married on August 5, 1972. John adopted her son, and the couple went on to have another child together, a son named Mackenzie, born in 1973. Throughout Sean’s childhood, John was publicly recognized as his father and raised him as his own.

Years later, John stated that during Sean’s early years, he had no intention of drawing attention to the rumors surrounding the child’s paternity. In 2001, he explained, “[Sean] basically grew up without any real knowledge of all that stuff.” However, when Sean reached his teenage years, his mother revealed new information that challenged what he had long believed.

Changing Answers and a DNA Test

When Sean was 14 years old, the actress told him that John was not his biological father. Instead, she claimed that Desi was. Following this revelation, her son began to form a relationship with Desi, believing for a time that they were biologically related.

Years later, in his mid-20s, her son met a relative of Michael. During their conversation, the relative suggested that they could be related, which prompted him to consider a third possibility regarding his biological father. In order to settle the question, he arranged for DNA testing involving all three men — John, Desi, and Michael.

The results confirmed that Michael was his biological father. The DNA results ended 25 years of uncertainty, but they did not change the close relationships he had formed with all three men.

A Son with Three Fathers

After learning the results of the DNA test, Sean chose to maintain relationships with all three men connected to his paternity. He considered John, the man who raised him, to be his father. Speaking in 2001, he said, “If you want to know who I am, John Astin is my father, Michael Tell is my biological father.”

He described a strong bond with Desi, despite the DNA results. “Desi Arnaz Jr. loves me, and I love him. We are so close,” Sean said in 2004. “Science tells me that he’s not my biological father. Science tells me that Mike Tell is.” He added, “I can call any of them on the phone any time I want to.”

Although John and Sean’s mother divorced in 1985, he remained a good father to Sean. “The greatest treasures are the treasures of the heart and Sean is a treasure. We’re very close. We have a good time together,” he shared. “His biological dad turns out to be a great guy and we’ve become friendly. He’s a good guy.”

While the rest of the family accepted the DNA results, Sean’s mother did not. In a 2001 interview, she stated, “I don’t buy that test. I can support his truth as long as my truth, if not supported, is respected. I have told him I know what I know to be true.”

As Sean navigated his relationships with all three men, Patty Duke focused on her later career, her advocacy work, and the family life she built with her final husband.

A Lasting Legacy Beyond the Headlines

Shortly after her divorce from John, Patty married Michael Pearce, a drill sergeant in the U.S. Army, on March 15, 1986. They met while she was filming the CBS movie “A Time to Triumph.” Patty became stepmother to Michael’s daughters, Raelene and Charlene, and together, the couple later adopted a son, Kevin, in 1988.

They lived on a farm in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, and remained married until her death. Patty died on March 29, 2016, at the age of 69, from sepsis caused by a ruptured intestine. Reflecting on her final days, Sean said, “It was a really, really, really hard process. It was hard for her, it was hard for the people who love her to help her, it was hard for the professionals.”

He added, “We’re so grateful to her for living a life that generates that amount of compassion and feeling in others.” Reflecting on her marriage to Michael Pearce whom he lovingly called “Papa Mike,” Sean said, “The true story of her life isn’t her work and it isn’t her advocacy, it’s the love relationship she’s had with her husband Mike for the last 30 years.”

“He became her 30-year project, and she finally in her life had a protector. And so she showed him the world and he took care of her, and until this morning at 1:20 they were connected with a bond that is impossible to describe,” he added.

Until her passing, Patty remained active in her career while also advocating for mental health awareness, AIDS awareness, and the Equal Rights Amendment. After being diagnosed with bipolar disorder in the early 1980s, she became a national spokesperson for mental health issues.

She served as president of the Screen Actors Guild beginning in 1984 and was re-elected in a landslide. Speaking about her advocacy work, Sean said, “She literally traveled all over the country and lobbied Congress … She was a blistering advocate for her cause and that was just the biggest and most important cause. She worked on behalf of so many causes.[..] She did it all.”

Although the mystery surrounding Sean’s paternity captured public attention for years, it was the enduring relationships he maintained — and Patty’s commitment to family and advocacy — that ultimately shaped how they are remembered.

After her passing, Sean stated, “We’re so grateful to her for living a life that generates that amount of compassion and feeling in others. So, this last hour’s a joy moment for me.” Like his mother, Sean went on to have a long career in entertainment.

He began as a child actor alongside Patty in the 1981 after-school special “Please Don’t Hit Me, Mom.” His film debut came with “The Goonies” in 1985, followed by starring roles in “Rudy” (1993) and as Samwise Gamgee in “The Lord of the Rings” film trilogy (2001–2003).

He is also a director, producer, voice actor, political activist, philanthropist, and author. In 1994, his short film “Kangaroo Court” was nominated for an Academy Award.

He has been married to Christine Astin since 1992; they have three daughters together. Christine is a producer and serves as Vice President and CFO of Lava Entertainment.

What Was It like to Have Patty Duke as a Mom?

Before understanding her diagnosis, Patty’s children constantly guessed their mother’s mood. “I had no patience,” Patty admitted in an interview, as reported by Baltimore Sun.

She added, “The [kids] […] never knew when what was all hunky-dory was going to fly out the window, and you were going to be screamed at and berated and either ostracized or made to do some humiliating punishment.”

Sean, older than his brother Mackenzie, was the target of their mother’s destructive manic depression. One of his memories included building a model airplane while cleaning his room not to upset his mother. However, Patty was mad that her son tried to be perfect.

Sean compared the way Patty scarily walked through the hallways of their home to the character Beast from “Beauty and the Beast. She entered Sean’s room and threw water at him before destroying his model plane in what the young boy described as “freakouts.”

Although there were rough times, Sean and Mackenzie also experienced beautiful days with their mother. Sean knew his mother still had their best interest at heart and wanted to raise confident and independent children.

Things in their home especially became better after Duke was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. “I knew at a very young age that something was not right, or even more intensely, there was something wrong with me,” the actress said.

By that time, Sean was 11 years old. Duke didn’t hide her condition and became a mental health advocate. Her younger son, Mackenzie, was especially proud of his mother’s bravery. He said, “It was around 1984, ’85, when she wrote an autobiography which was very frank about her experiences with what was called manic depression, and now called bipolar.”

Patty’s illness was controlled through medication and therapy, which she detailed in her autobiography alongside the difficulties of having bipolar disorder. Her book, “Call Me Anna: The Autobiography of Patty Duke” became a New York Times bestseller and was turned into a movie. The actress’ book has touched and saved many people’s lives.

Mackenzie was grateful for having the best parents and believed he “hit the jackpot” with them. More than the guidance they gave in his upbringing and career, they were both appreciative and loving parents.

Sean was equally proud of his mother and has become a mental health advocate. “What I love the most about my mother is that she’s a survivor. She wants to live. She’s here. Because she wants to be,” Sean said. “That’s a good thing.”

Years later, Sean spoke about having to parent his parent due to the illness. However, everything changed when Duke sought help. Suddenly, Sean felt his importance in the actress’ life. “I was elated for her,” he said.