Basic Trope: A character learns that a former love interest’s child whom they thought was the child of the love interest’s current partner is actually their child.
- Straight:
- Harry meets his ex-girlfriend Claire for the first time in a decade and learns that she’s now married to a man named Michael and has a young son named Joshua. Claire soon informs Harry that Joshua is his son.
- Michael always thought his wife Claire's son Joshua was fathered by her ex-boyfriend Harry, but learns he himself was Joshua's biological father all along.
- Exaggerated: All the women Harry dated before reveal that their children are his children.
- Downplayed: Harry suspected that Joshua was his son, but his suspicions weren’t confirmed until Claire told him that he was Joshua’s father.
- Justified: Ten years ago, Harry had a drug addiction that tore his relationship with Claire apart, so Claire didn’t want to raise a child with him because it would’ve been irresponsible to raise the baby in that environment. So, when a decade passes and Harry reveals that he’s now clean, Claire decides to tell him the truth.
- Inverted: Harry’s Honorary Uncle Martin reveals that he is actually Harry’s father.
- Subverted: Harry suspects that Joshua is his actual son, but Claire reveals that Joshua is indeed Michael’s son.
- Double Subverted: Claire actually had a daughter whom she gave up for adoption, and she was Harry’s daughter.
- Parodied: Claire claims her son Joshua is Harry’s son despite the fact they’ve never been in a relationship. Harry accepts it without question.
- Zig Zagged: Claire wants to tell Harry the truth about her son’s paternity but finds that he has randomly left the country. When she catches up to him, Claire reveals to him the truth. However, Harry doesn’t believe it because Joshua looks a lot like Claire’s husband Michael. A Daddy DNA Test is pulled, revealing that Harry is indeed Joshua’s father. And for added posterity, it’s revealed that Michael is Harry’s long-lost fraternal twin brother, explaining why Joshua looks kind of like Michael.
- Averted:
- Claire never held off revealing that Harry was Joshua’s actual father and Harry’s always been in his son’s life.
- Joshua is Michael’s son without question.
- Enforced: ???
- Lampshaded: “You mean her son that looked exactly like her ex-boyfriend is actually the son of the ex-boyfriend and not the husband that looks absolutely nothing like the son? What are the odds?”
- Invoked: ???
- Exploited: Claire decides to tell Harry, a United States Senator, that her son Joshua is his son to extort him thousands of dollars instead of going public with the news of their affair.
- Defied: Claire never tells Harry that he’s Joshua’s father, even on his deathbed.
- Discussed: ???
- Conversed: ???
- Deconstructed: The psychological effects of The Reveal affects Claire and Joshua’s future relationship, resulting in Joshua questioning everything his mother told him about his family roots.
- Played For Drama: Claire reveals to Harry and Michael that the former is Joshua’s biological father. Michael feels betrayed and distances himself from his wife, while Harry feels guilt that he wasn’t there for Joshua and tries to be a father figure to his son, who doesn’t accept him because he always thought Michael was his dad.
- Played For Laughs: Claire attempts to tell Harry that Joshua is his son, despite the fact that Joshua is a two-headed, four-legged alien, and Claire’s husband Michael is the same species. Harry is overjoyed to learn this news.
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