Sean Astin Used Paternity Test to Find Out Which of Three Men Was His Biological Father

Who is Sean Astin's biological father? He didn't find out until he was 26 years old, reports People.

The star of “The Goonies” and "The Lord of the Rings" series is the son of Patty Duke, and his birth in 1971 was tabloid fodder. His mom was linked to two men at the time, and no one knew who Sean's father was.

Duke, then 23, had had a highly publicized fling with Desi Arnaz, Jr., 17, a relationship of which Arnaz's mother Lucille Ball reportedly did not approve.

Around the same time, Duke married rock promoter Michael Tell, who was subletting her apartment. Duke and Tell were married for 13 days. The union was annulled.

Duke later claimed she had an affair with John Astin while the actor was still married, and that he was Sean's biological father. Astin and Duke married, and Astin raised Sean as his own.

When Sean was 14, his mother confessed that she believed Arnaz was actually his father, and Sean went on to develop a relationship with the actor.

The story doesn't end there, however. Sean later met a relative of Michael Tell, who suggested that they might be related. Sean asked Astin, Arnaz, and Tell to participate in a paternity test.

Thanks to the test, Sean learned that Tell was his biological father. Duke, however, did not believe the results. She told People in 2001, "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. When God looks me in the eye and says, 'Anna Marie, you have been mistaken all these years,' then I will consider [Tell's paternity]."

Sean now maintains relationships with all three men, but considers Astin his dad.