A Polish woman who thought she could be Madeleine McCann, a British girl who went missing from a family vacation in Portugal 16 years ago, has received the results of a DNA test showing she is 100% Polish.
The Polish woman, Julia Faustyna, who also goes by Julia Wandlet, had been claiming for weeks on Instagram and TikTok that she may be McCann, who disappeared at age 3, due to similarities in their appearance and age.
“Julia’s test results are back. We finally know the reality,” Fia Johansson, a psychic social media star who offered to represent Faustyna as a spokesperson during her quest for answers, said in a Tuesday statement posted to Instagram.
“The test results revealed that she is 100% of Polish heart, with negligible influence from Lithuania and Russia,” Johansson continued. “The DNA test results did not show any connection to British or even German roots.”
Faustyna amassed tens of thousands of followers – many of whom were critical of her claims on her Instagram account, @iammadeleinemccann, as a result of her speculation online. She and Johansson even appeared on Dr. Phil together last month, but Johansson says it was never about internet fame.
“She truly believed what she was saying, and with so many questions about her childhood it is easy to understand where she was coming from,” Johansson said.
Faustyna’s account began posting photos in February. The Polish woman said she has a spot in her right eye and a beauty mark on her cheek that resemble McCann’s. She also claimed that details of her childhood do not add up, leading her to believe that she was abducted as a toddler.