Marissa Doop works as a bartender in Minnesota, while Zoie Berkley-Andre is a lab technician in Minneapolis.
Two families in Minnesota adopted the girls from an orphanage in January 2000, when they were 13 months old. Months later, the two families coincidentally became neighbors. From then on, Doop and Berkley-Andre grew up together, becoming close friends and celebrating their birthdays every December.
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Marissa Doop and Zoie Berkley-Andre were close since childhood, due to being neighbors. Photo: Marissa Doop |
Marissa Doop and Zoie Berkley-Andre were close since childhood, due to being neighbors. Photo: Marissa Doop
Throughout their upbringing, the two girls noticed many similarities between them. They achieved identical high school graduation scores and both studied chemistry in college. Their mannerisms, sitting posture, the way they crossed their legs, gestures, and even pronunciation matched.
The truth about their relationship came to light at Doop's 26th birthday party in 2024. Doop's grandmother, observing the striking resemblance between her granddaughter and Berkley-Andre, raised suspicions.
Before this, both mothers had joked about the possibility of them being blood relatives. Doop usually dismissed the idea, believing orphanage staff often assigned similar birth dates to children.
In 2025, Berkley-Andre's mother contacted Dr. Nancy L. Segal, director of the Twin Studies Center at California State University, for an assessment. The two girls agreed to a DNA test. "I saw the test as merely humoring the adults," Berkley-Andre recalled.
Genetic analysis results confirmed the two girls were identical twin sisters. Both families were overjoyed, while Doop and Berkley-Andre received the news calmly, having been close for 26 years.
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Zoie Berkley-Andre (left) and Marissa Doop (right) at their 26th birthday celebration in 2025. Photo: Marissa Doop |
Zoie Berkley-Andre (left) and Marissa Doop (right) at their 26th birthday celebration in 2025. Photo: Marissa Doop
Berkley-Andre explained they are "mirror-image identical twins," whose bodies reflect each other through opposing biological traits. "I am left-handed, my wisdom teeth grew in opposite symmetry, and I part my hair to the left, while Marissa has the opposite traits," she said.
Currently, the sisters participate in Dr. Segal's research project on twins separated at birth. Berkley-Andre stated she would keep this story a secret and use it for a trivia game with friends.
Source: People
