Sessilee Lopez
Lopez in 2009, photo by Prphotos.com
Place of Birth: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Date of Birth: January 4, c. 1989
Ethnicity: Portuguese, African, African-American, Spanish, possibly Brazilian and Dominican Republic/Cuban
Sessilee Lopez is an American model.
Her mother, Janice Celeste, is a businessperson and author. Her sister is designer Kristian Loren. A picture of Sessilee’s father can be seen here. A picture of Sessilee’s mother can be seen here. Her maternal grandparents are pictured here. Sessilee is married to Dave Holmes, with whom she has two children. Dave is the manager of band Coldplay.
Her father’s ancestry includes Portuguese, African, and possibly Brazilian. On her mother’s side, she is of African-American descent, along with a Portuguese Azorean great-great-great-grandfather and a Spanish great-great-great-grandfather.
A DNA test stated that Sessilee’s mother’s genetic ancestry includes:
*15% Benin/Togo
*12% Senegal
*11% Europe West
*10% Ivory Coast/Ghana
*10% Cameroon/Congo
*9% Ireland/Scotland/Wales
*6% Nigeria
*5% Great Britain
Sessilee’s paternal grandfather was named Antonio/Anthony Lopez (the son of Dennis/James Lopez/Lopes). Antonio was born in Connecticut. Dennis was born in Portugal, the son of Pedro Lopes and Maria. Antonio’s mother likely was named Florence Lopes/Andrews. She was born in either Rhode Island or Massachusetts, also to parents from Portugal, James Lopes and Maria Andrews. Sessilee’s grandfather Antonio, his siblings, and his parents, were all black. One record lists her great-grandfather Dennis as being from Brazil, while most records list him as having been born in Portugal. It is also possible that the family were originally from Portuguese Cape Verde.
Sessilee’s paternal grandmother is possibly named Linda.
Sessilee’s maternal grandfather was Bernard B. Robinson (the son of Arthur Francis Robinson/Roberson and Mercedes Mae “Mercy” Marques/Margues/Marks). Bernard was born in Florida, and had African-American ancestry, along with one eighth Portuguese Azorean and one eighth Spanish. Arthur was born in Florida, the son of Manuel/Emanuel Robinson and Angela/Angella/Angelina Borras. Manuel was born in Florida, to a Portuguese father, Thomas Robinson, who was from Terceira, the Azores; and to a Florida-born mother, Rebecca Hardin, who was African-American. Sessilee’s great-great-grandmother Angela was born in Florida, the daughter of Bartolome/Bartollo Borras, who was born in either Mallorca or Barcelona, Spain, and likely of an African-American mother.
Sessilee’s great-grandmother Mercedes was born in Florida, the daughter of Frank Marques/Marks and Cecelia/Cecila/Celia Wyer. Frank was born in Florida, and is sometimes listed as “White,” “Creole,” or “Colored” on records. Cecelia was also born in Florida, and was African-American.
Sessilee’s maternal grandmother is named Vernell B. Vernell was born in Florida, and is African-American.
Along with her DNA test, Sessilee’s mother stated:
I found that my mother’s side of the family were enslaved and my father’s side of the family owned at least three slaves. I was able to research my genealogy on my father’s side to Portugal and Spain with possible traces of royal blood, in which I need to do more research. On my mother’s side of the family, I was able to get as far as my great-great-grandfather who served in the Colored Troops, which I believed he did to free his family from slavery. I also pieced together that my maternal-side most likely came to the Americas from the West African slave trade, possibly traveling through Goree Island to the eastern United States and Jamaica. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, they were brought to South Florida to plant and cut sugar cane for plantations and the big sugar companies that settled in the area under H2 visas.
Sources: Sessilee’s paternal grandfather, Antonio “Anthony/Tony” Lopez, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Sessilee’s maternal grandfather, Bernard B. Robinson, on the 1950 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Marriage record of Sessilee’s maternal great-great-grandparents, Manuel/Emanuel Robinson and Angela/Angella/Angelina Borras – https://www.familysearch.org
Death record of Sessilee’s maternal great-great-grandfather, Manuel/Emanuel Robinson – https://findagrave.com
Death record of Sessilee’s maternal great-great-grandmother, Angela/Angella/Angelina (Borras) Robinson – https://www.familysearch.org
She is married to Dave Holmes, with whom she has two children. Dave is the manager of band Coldplay. Her sister is designer Kristian Loren.
That is a photo of her maternal grandparents.
Regarding her ancestry, Sessilee’s mother has stated:
“What did I find when I searched my genealogy and DNA? Well it was interesting. I found that my mother’s side of the family were enslaved and my father’s side of the family owned at least three slaves. I was able to research my genealogy on my father’s side to Portugal and Spain with possible traces of royal blood, in which I need to do more research. On my mother’s side of the family, I was able to get as far as my great-great-grandfather who served in the Colored Troops, which I believed he did to free his family from slavery. I also pieced together that my maternal-side most likely came to the Americas from the West African slave trade, possibly traveling through Goree Island to the eastern United States and Jamaica. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, they were brought to South Florida to plant and cut sugar cane for plantations and the big sugar companies that settled in the area under H2 visas. This information was more than I knew before I started my research. I am still actively searching and will continue to so.”
A DNA test stated that Sessilee’s mother’s genetic ancestry includes:
*15% Benin/Togo
*12% Senegal
*9% Ireland/Scotland/Wales
*11% Europe West
*10% Ivory Coast/Ghana
*10% Cameroon/Congo
*6% Nigeria
*5% Great Britain
Source: https://successfulblackparenting.com/2018/03/21/discovering-your-familys-dna/
Sessilee’s paternal grandfather was Antonio/Anthony Lopez (the son of Dennis/James Lopez/Lopes). Antonio was born in Connecticut. Dennis was born in Portugal, the son of Pedro Lopes and Maria. Antonio’s mother likely was named Florence Lopes/Andrews. She was born in either Rhode Island or Massachusetts, also to parents from Portugal, James Lopes and Maria Andrews.
Sessilee’s grandfather Antonio, his siblings and his parents were all black. One record lists her great-grandfather Dennis as being from Brazil, while most records list him as having been born in Portugal. It is also possible that the family were originally from Portuguese Cape Verde.
Sessilee’s paternal grandmother is possibly named Linda.
Sessilee’s maternal grandfather was Bernard B. Robinson (the son of Arthur Francis Robinson/Roberson and Mercedes Mae “Mercy” Marques/Margues/Marks). Bernard was born in Florida. Arthur was born in Florida, the son of Manuel/Emanuel Robinson and Angela/Angella/Angelina Borras. Mercedes was born in Florida, the daughter of Frank Marques/Marks and Cecelia/Cecila/Celia Wyer.
Sessilee’s great-great-grandfather Manuel was born in Florida, to a Portuguese father, Thomas Robinson, who was from Terceira, the Azores; and to a Florida-born mother, Rebecca Hardin, who was African-American. Sessilee’s great-great-grandmother Angela was born in Florida, the daughter of Bartolome/Bartollo Borras, who was born in either Mallorca or Barcelona, Spain, and likely of an African-American mother.
Sessilee’s great-great-grandfather Frank was born in Florida, and is sometimes listed as “White”, “Creole” or “Colored” on records. Sessilee’s great-great-grandmother Cecelia was also born in Florida, and was African-American.
Sessilee’s maternal grandmother is named Vernell B. Vernell was born in Florida, and is African-American.
Sessilee’s paternal grandfather, Antonio “Anthony/Tony” Lopez, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHZP-33W
Sessilee’s maternal grandfather, Bernard B. Robinson, on the 1950 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6XK1-4RNC
Marriage record of Sessilee’s maternal great-grandparents, Manuel/Emanuel Robinson and Angela/Angella/Angelina Borras – https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VRCX-4W2
Death record of Sessilee’s great-great-grandfather, Manuel/Emanuel Robinson – https://findagrave.com/memorial/187998358/manuel-robinson
Death record of Sessilee’s great-great-grandmother, Angela/Angella/Angelina (Borras) Robinson – https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DZHS-PB6?cc=1595003
So her mother is Black American and her father is half Cape Verdean and (possibly) half Dominican? I remember years ago Sessilee would only ID as Dominican (probably instructed by her agency to seem more “exotic”). Interesting that she is only 1/4 Dominican and it’s the one part of her ancestry which does not seem to be confirmed yet.
correction dominican republic
Her mother’s birth name is Janice Marie Robinson.
Her maternal grandparents were Bernard Robinson and Vernell B.
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/pensacolanewsjournal/obituary.aspx?pid=183952488
http://www.njherald.com/article/20060325/ARTICLE/303259978?template=art_print#
A picture of Sessilee’s father:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BFzH-F0Kmnk/?taken-by=therealsessilee&hl=en
Two of her grandparents: http://solarey.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Sessilee-Lopez-93.jpg
Given her Spanish surname (Lopez), I’d say she’s probably part Afro-Cuban on her father’s side, apart from Portuguese, as her mother has Dominican ancestry.
She was also born in 1980, not 1989 (assuming she was born with her exact stage name). Her middle name begins with D.
From the Facebook page that is linked as a source:
“Sessilee Lopez can be classified in one word: attitude! And with her striking looks—thank her Dominican, Portuguese, Cuban, and African-American roots—it’s no wonder why this Philly native is one of today’s top models.”