Shailene Woodley

Woodley in 2010, image via kathclick/Bigstock.com

Birth Name: Shailene Diann Woodley

Place of Birth: San Bernardino, California, United States

Date of Birth: November 15, 1991

Ethnicity:
*father – English
*mother – African-American, Louisiana Creole [African, French, Spanish, German], English, Swiss-German

Shailene Woodley is an American actress and activist. Her roles include The Descendants, The Spectacular Now, White Bird in a Blizzard, The Fault in Our Stars, and The Secret Life of the American Teenager.

Shailene is the daughter of Lori and Lonnie Woodley. Her father, whose family is from the U.S. South, has English ancestry. Shailene’s maternal grandfather had African-American and Creole ancestry, and Shailene’s maternal grandmother has Louisiana Creole [including African, French, Spanish, and German] ancestry on one side of her family, and English and Swiss-German ancestry on the other side of her family.

Shailene’s paternal grandfather was Virgil James Woodley (the son of James Franklin Woodley and Velma L. Howard). Virgil was born in Oklahoma. Shailene’s great-grandfather James was the son of James Samuel Woodley and Julia Ann Arnold.

Shailene’s paternal grandmother was Dovie Oralee Sims (the daughter of Omer Epsy Sims and Eva Ellen Payne). Dovie was born in Texas. Omer was the son of Denton Otto Sims and Clara Florence Allen. Eva was the daughter of Hiram Walker Payne and Verdenia Maude Ellis.

Shailene’s maternal grandfather was Stephen David Victor (the son of Harold Joseph Victor and Bessie M. Harrold). Stephen was born in California. According to most censuses, both Harold and Bessie were Black and/or biracial (censuses list Harold and Bessie as black, and one census lists them as “Mulatto”). Harold was born in Louisiana, the son of Joseph Victor and Leila/Lelia Prudhomme, who were described as “colored” on his sister’s birth record, and “Black” on the U.S. Census and other records. Leila’s parents, Joseph Prudhomme and Lelia/Lilia Pope/Poper Lewis, were Louisiana Creole. Shailene’s great-grandmother Bessie was born in California, to Texas-born parents, William John/S./T. Harrold and Bessie Hutchins, who were both described as “colored” on her birth record and on censuses. Shailene’s great-great-grandmother Bessie’s parents were Lee Hutchins, who was said to have been born in England, of unclear background, and Georgia Walker, who was a black woman born in Texas.

Shailene’s maternal grandmother is Diane Lynn Fauria (the daughter of Vernon Louis Fauria and Marguerite Lois Davis). Diane was born in California. Vernon was a Louisiana Creole. Marguerite was caucasian. A picture of Vernon and Marguerite can be seen here.

Shailene’s great-grandfather Vernon Fauria was born in Windsor, Ontario, Canada and raised in Los Angeles. He was the son of Creole parents from Louisiana, who both had black ancestry, mixed with caucasian. Vernon’s father, Joseph Mathews/Matthews Fauria, was of African, Spanish, French, and German descent. Vernon’s mother, Louise Aline Martinez, had Spanish, African, and possibly French, ancestry. A picture of Vernon with his siblings can be seen here. A picture of Vernon’s parents, Shailene’s great-great-grandparents Joseph and Aline, can be seen here. A picture of Shailene’s great-great-grandfather, Joseph Mathews Fauria (top left), with his own parents, Victor Nicholas/M. Fauria and Agnes Cora Zipple (seated), can be seen here.

Shailene’s great-grandmother Marguerite Davis’s father, Norman Edward Davis, was of British Isles/English ancestry. Maguerite’s mother, Shailene’s maternal great-great-grandmother, Evangeline/Evangelia/Perrengere/Berengere Perrin/Perrine, was Swiss, of Swiss-German descent, and was the daughter of Lewis O. Perrin and Berthe C. Hague. This makes Shailene Woodley of 1/16th Swiss ancestry.

Shailene’s mother Lori Woodley – 4th Annual Kailand Obasi Hoop-Life Basketball Tournament Fundraiser – Arrivals – USC Galen Center, 3400 S Figueroa Street – Los Angeles, CA, USA, 2016 – Photo Credit: Guillermo Proano / PR Photos

Sources: Genealogies of Shailene Woodley – http://gw.geneanet.org
https://www.geni.com

Genealogy of Shailene Woodley (focusing on her father’s side) – http://www.wikitree.com

Genealogies of Shailene’s paternal grandparents, Virgil James Woodley and Dovie Oralee (Sims) Woodley – http://www.findagrave.com

Shailene’s maternal great-grandfather, Harold Joseph Victor, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Harold Joseph Victor on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Birth record of Shailene’s maternal great-great-aunt (her great-grandfather Harold’s sister) – https://www.familysearch.org

Shailene’s maternal great-great-grandmother, Leila/Lelia Prudhomme, on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Re-marriage record of Shailene’s maternal great-great-grandmother, Leila/Lelia Prudhomme, to William H. Harris – https://www.familysearch.org

Shailene’s maternal great-great-grandmother, Leila/Lelia (Prudhomme) Harris, and Shailene’s step-great-great-grandfather, William H. Harris, on the 1940 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Shailene’s maternal great-great-great-grandparents, Joseph Prudhomme and Lelia/Lilia Pope/Poper Lewis, on the 1880 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Birth record of Shailene’s maternal great-grandmother, Bessie M. Harrold (Bessie Herald) – https://www.familysearch.org

Shailene’s maternal great-grandmother, Bessie M. Harrold (Bessie Herald), on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Bessie M. Harrold on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Death record of Shailene’s maternal great-great-grandfather, William John/S./T. Harrold – https://www.familysearch.org

Death records of Shailene’s maternal great-great-grandmother, Bessie (Hutchins) Harrold – https://www.familysearch.org
https://www.familysearch.org

Genealogy of Shailene’s maternal grandmother, Diane Lynn Fauria – http://bayoubohemia.net

Marriage record of Shailene’s maternal great-great-grandparents, Joseph Mathews/Matthews Fauria and Louise Aline Martinez – https://www.familysearch.org

Pictures and genealogy of Shailene’s maternal great-great-grandfather, Joseph Mathews/Matthews Fauria – http://www.findagrave.com

Shailene’s maternal great-great-grandfather, Joseph Mathews/Matthews Fauria, on the 1880 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Joseph Mathews/Matthews Fauria on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Death record of Shailene’s maternal great-great-grandfather, Joseph Mathews/Matthews Fauria – https://www.familysearch.org

Birth record of Shailene’s maternal great-great-grandmother, Louise Aline Martinez – https://www.familysearch.org

Shailene’s maternal great-great-grandmother, Louise Aline Martinez, on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Shailene’s maternal great-grandmother, Marguerite Lois Davis, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Marriage record of Shailene’s maternal great-great-grandparents, Norman Edward Davis and Evangeline/Evangelia/Perrengere/Berengere Perrin/Perrine – https://www.familysearch.org

Shailene’s maternal great-great-grandmother, Evangeline/Evangelia/Perrengere/Berengere Perrin/Perrine, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

278 Responses

  1. momo says:

    These comments in particular had me so riled up I actually made an account just to comment. It’s absolutely ridiculous that some people on this site hold such double standards for some and not others! When ethni celebs said tyra banks is fully black everyone had a problem with it and no one could accept she was mixed with nothing. But as soon as Shaillene Woodley has even an ounce of black in her, it’s proclaimed a lie. Whether you like it or not some of you people are hypocrites and have certain rules for others that you don’t have for yourselves.

    • midori29 says:

      Yes whites stick together as long as they are white looking, but whites always like to claim themselves in attractive black people. But let it be the other way around and blacks claiming attractive white people and they go CRAZY. Double standard, the white looking mixed people get a pass over the black looking mixed peoples. But black people always fall for the divide and conquer game. We all know that southern European medittaranean is really a “mixed” population but whites do not admit it.

  2. angrygirl19 says:

    @WTF YOU DID NOT EVER HEAR ME SAY THAT SHE LOOKED BLACK. BEFORE YOU RAISE YOUR IGNORANT ASS VOICE TO ME WHY DON’T YOU LEARN TO READ FIRST. YOU WANT TO BE TRIFLING AND BITCHY, SO THE F$&k CAN I. I NOWHERE IN THAT SENTENCE SAD SHE LOOKED BLACK, YOU STUPID ASS HO. I SAID THAT’S WHAT HER ANCESTRY WAS. AND NO ONE SAID YOU HAD TO ACCEPT HER. IM BLACK AND I PERSONALLY DON’T SEE WHAT THE DAMN PROBLEM IS. YOU NEED TO CALM THE HELL DOWN ANDMGO SOMEWHERE WITH THAT MESS. CALMMTHE F U C K DOWN BITCH BECAUSE NO ONE GOT TIME FOR THAT
    STUPID AZZ BITCH

  3. longhaired thick lightskinned gyal says:

    She’s probably only one percent white, and she’s very below average looking. Didn’t fit the role of Hazel at all, her acting made me cringe forreal.

    • longhaired thick lightskinned gyal says:

      LOOOOOOOOL I meant one percent BLACK!!

      • Dogg says:

        Given that her maternal grandfather is of African-American ancestry, I don’t think so. You should think before you type.

        • angrygirl19 says:

          Thank you!

          • WTF says:

            Dumb bitch, how the fuck you gonna say she looks black? LOL the black community wouldn’t accept this hoe as black. I do not consider her black because she looks like a bland, flat-assed white bitch. She IS NOT black, end of story. I’m so sick of people still clinging to that fucking idiotic ONE DROP RULE. The bitch ain’t black alright?!!?!?!? People with TWO black parents are black.

          • J.J. says:

            she’s mixed race, so she’s neither black nor white, she’s a combination of the two? why do people get so defensive over people of mixed heritage and try to claim or reject them as one of their own, it doesn’t matter, their ethnicity is there, it’s listed plain and simple, what you “class” them as or choose to “define” them as doesn’t really matter, that’s your opinion based upon your view, keep it to yourself and don’t be so rude and prejudice about it

      • midori29 says:

        The media makes it seem like mixed people cant be white looking but they can. There are plenty 25% black African people who look completely white.

    • Dogg says:

      And she is not “below average looking”. Are you high? Below average means ugly. She is certainly not ugly.

    • angrygirl19 says:

      Lets also not forget, that alongside the grandfather, her maternal grandmother is mixed with creole, so she has black as well

  4. glenira says:

    Nice mix !!!

  5. White18 says:

    Not everyone in the United states are multiracial. I’m completely white, DNA test taken. Don’t say things you don’t know.

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