(Memphis) It was already a big enough bombshell earlier this year when Congressman Steve Cohen of Memphis revealed aspiring model Victoria Brink was his long-lost daughter.
Now comes another revelation: a DNA test proving who Brink’s real father is, and who isn’t.
“The results show that Steve Cohen is not my father,” Brink said.
CNN obtained DNA from Victoria and John Brink, the man who raised her and from Cohen.
The DNA test shows Brink is really the daughter of Texas oilman. He raised the now 24-year-old and said he never had any doubts about her being his daughter.
“No, no. I changed her first diaper. I cut her umbilical cord. No. I couldn’t doubt that,” Brink said.
Cohen’s involvement in all of this began back in February after he sent Twitter messages to Brink during the President’s State of the Union address.
Brink is 40 years Cohen’s junior, and that sparked days of salacious speculation turning Brink’s life into a tailspin.
“What was out on the Internet was that me and Steve Cohen could have been lovers,” Brink said.
For three years, Cohen and Victoria Brink kept their secret about possibly being father and daughter. But the Congressman only deduced Victoria might be his daughter.
“I knew her mother a long time ago. I Googled her one night, and saw that she had given birth to a beautiful young lady, and I kind of went back to nine months before, and that was a time when we were involved,” Cohen said in an earlier interview.
In a statement released Thursday to News Channel 3, the congressman said “I was stunned and dismayed” at the result.
“I still love Victoria, hold dear the time I have shared with her and hope to continue to be part of her life,” he said.
Randy Wade was Cohen’s former district director in Memphis and worked on almost all of his congressional campaigns.
“He truly believed he was the biological father. There was no ill intent on his behalf. He actually thought that Victoria was his daughter,” Wade said.
Wade said this is a personal matter for Cohen and it’s time for the community and media to close this chapter on the congressman and Brink.
“She’s a very darling, lovely young lady and all of this had to come out and its his business now and it’s over. Again, it was no ill intent on his part, none whatsoever, if anyone is implying that,” Wade said.
Now after all of the tweets and media publicity, is there anything Victoria Brink learned from this experience?
“Maybe, do a DNA test first,” Brink said.
Late Thursday, Cohen told News Channel 3 that this something he won’t continue to talk about it.
