Marcus Samuelsson, as many know, is an adopted child from Ethiopia brought into and raised by a Swedish family. His parents are Ann Marie and Lennart Samuelsson. Marcus recently starred on Netflix’s Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend which premiered on 15 June.
Now, fans are interested to learn more about his heritage and his upbringing. Also, we cover a few details regarding his siblings so keep scrolling to learn more about his parents.
Who Are Marcus Samuelsson Parents?
Marcus Samuelsson was born Kassahun Tsegie on 25 January 1970 in Abrugandana, Ethiopia. He lost his biological mother to Tuberculosis. He and his biological sister Linda, born Fantaye, also suffered from TB but they recovered. The two siblings were adopted by their Swedish parents Ann Marie and Lennart Samuelsson.
Ann and Lennart desperately wanted to have kids but they couldn’t. So, after adopting Marcus and his siblings they brought the two children to Gothenburg, Sweden. He would call like to call them the original Brad and Angelina who were the ones who first made blended families the norm.
His mother’s parents had adopted a Jewish girl, his aunt, from Czechoslovakia during World War II and raised her as their own. Although his parents didn’t have money they made sure that their children ate well. Her mother was getting questioned from both sides; Black and White.
White people couldn’t understand what this Swedish woman was doing with two little Ethiopian children, and Black people would constantly ask her questions. His father loved taking Marcus and his siblings on historical vacations people stared at them in East Berlin.
He knew he was from a different country, but that never stopped his parents from doing the hard work of parenting.
On 9 June 2022, Marcus posted about his adoptive parents. He wrote, “I’ve got nothing but love for my parents, but it clearly took them a while to get the hang of Black hair when my sister and I were adopted. Hahaha! Tell me I’m not alone with the awkward kid photos…”
In November 2020, on National Adoption Day, he posted pictures of his parents and captioned them, “National Adoption Day is something worth celebrating. To my mor and far, thanks for welcoming my sister and me with open arms and unconditional love.”
Meet Marcus Samuelsson Mother, Ann Marie Samuelsson
Marcus Samuelsson described himself and his mother Ann Marie Samuelsson as the pillar of success. She helped him write job applications to various classy hotels in Sweden after school completion.
Is Ann Marie Samuelsson Still Alive?
Ann Marie Samuelsson has likely died. Marcus frequently remembers his mom on Twitter. In March 2017, he tweeted, “Remembering my mom Ann Marie for everything she gave me. It was more than any Michelin star chef. I will always love you”.
On Mother’s Day 2021, Marcus about his biological and adopted mother. He tweeted, “This Mother’s Day I’m thinking of both of my mothers. My birth mother for everything she gave us in her short life, and my adoptive mother for all the love she raised us with. I love you and miss you both dearly”.
Ann Marie Samuelsson Nationality
According to reports, Anne Marie is Swedish by nationality.
Ann Marie Samuelsson Job
Ann Marie Samuelson was reportedly a homemaker.
Meet Marcus Samuelsson Father, Lennart Samuelsson
Lennar Samuelsson, Marcus Samuelsson’s adopted father, taught him early on that life in the restaurant industry would be different for a Black chef from Africa.
Is Lennart Samuelsson Still Alive?
It is yet to confirm but Lennart Samuelsson has also passed away.
Lennart Samuelsson Nationality
Lennart Samuelsson is a Swedish by nationality.
Lennart Samuelsson Job
Lennart Samuelsson was a geologist by profession. Marcus once mentioned that his father is a scientist in the second chapter of his book Make It Messy.
Related FAQs
How Many Kids Do Marcus Samuelsson Parents Have?
Before Marcus and his sister were adopted, Marcus Samuelsson’s parents had already adopted another daughter named Anna who was 15 months old. She was not technically adopted but was part of the family and was doted on nonetheless by Lennart and Ann Marie, who were thrilled to have their dream of becoming parents come true.
Anna was born to a Swedish woman and a Jamaican man. It was after adopting Anna, that Ann and Lennart finally became parents. At the time, Ann was 45 years old.
When Did Marcus Samuelsson Parents Tie The Knot?
Marcus Samuelsson’s parents tied the knots sometime before 1972.
Who Are Marcus Samuelsson Biological Parents?
Marcus Samuelsson shared with Explore Parts Unknown that he never saw a picture of his biological mother. While he met her brothers and sisters in Ethiopia during his frequent travels to his motherland. When he asked about her they told him she was nice, pretty, and smart.
In 1972, his mother died, and she grew up in a time when women could go without having any pictures taken.
Marcus shared that his mother was berbere, an Ethiopian spice mixture. She didn’t have a lot of money so she fed Marcus and her sister Shiro because it was what poor people ate in Ethiopia. He reflected that his mother stood tall under 5-feet-2-inches but was never delicate.
Sadly, Marcus doesn’t remember his mother’s voice but he knows that she spoke two languages. Her tribe was a minority in that section of Ethiopia and it was essential to her survival that she spoke both the language of her village, Amhara, and the language of the greater outside community, which is Oromo.
While visiting Ethiopia, in 2000, Marcus reconnected and met his father who is named Tsegie. He lived with Marcus’s 18 half-brothers and half-sisters he never knew he had. He also provides financial support to eight of those siblings.
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