Forty years ago, Philippe Loret's father, Jean-Marie, told his son and six other children some shocking news: that they were the grandchildren of Adolf Hitler.
SCROLL DOWN FOR PHOTO
According to the Daily Mail, this is the first time 56-year-old Loret has spoken publicly about his father's revelation, after decades of secrecy.
While his father passed away in 1985, Loret's lawyer, Francois Gibault, presented new evidence that could substantiate the claims: Loret's father reportedly has the same blood type as Hitler, similar handwriting, and army papers that show German officers brought Loret's grandmother envelopes of money during World War II.
Jean-Marie Loret allegedly said that his mother, Charlotte Lobjoie, told him he was conceived in June of 1917 when she -- then 16-years-old -- had a brief relationship with the future dictator while he was on leave in the French town of Fournes-in-Weppe.
Speaking with the Telegraph, Loret said the secret has weighed heavily on him over the years.
"In order not to get depressed, I worked non-stop, never took a holiday, and had no hobbies," Loret told the Telegraph. "For twenty years I didn't even go to the cinema."
Loret also told the paper that, after Charlotte died, he found paintings in her attic that were signed by Hitler, who was known to have had aspirations of being a painter.
As the years have passed, Loret has gradually accepted his ancestry, even hanging photos of the Fuhrer on his walls, and as TMZ reports, owning a German Shepherd.
"It's not my fault that I ended up as his grandson, or that all the things happened during the war," Loret told the Daily Mail. "... What he did has nothing to do with me. He will always be family for me."
Photo courtesy of Keith Waldergrave, Mail on Sunday/ZUMA Press
Clarification: This article has been edited to clarify that it was Jean-Marie Loret, Philippe's father, who was told that he was conceived in 1917.