The birth of a baby is usually a joyful occasion—but one family’s story recently went viral for an unexpected reason.
Rachel, a cashier at Celina 52 Truck Stop in Tennessee, gave birth to her son, Cash Jamal Buckman, on February 17, 2024. What sparked online attention was that Rachel and her fiancé Paul Buckman are both white, while baby Cash appears to be Black.
The truck stop congratulated the couple on Facebook, but the post quickly drew speculation about the baby’s paternity. In response, the truck stop clarified that Rachel has African American ancestry that could explain Cash’s appearance, also noting he may have jaundice. Still, comments and jokes flooded in, with many doubting Paul was the biological father.
Rachel defended herself by posting her ancestry DNA results online, insisting Paul was the father. Despite this, skepticism remained, and social media buzzed with jokes and disbelief.
Things escalated when Celina 52 Truck Stop announced polygraph and DNA tests. On March 24, they posted a final statement revealing results from the Steve Wilkos Show confirming Paul is not the biological father.
Rachel later claimed the baby was conceived with an ex in 2021 and that dormant DNA was somehow activated after she had COVID in 2023. Despite everything, Paul chose to stay with Rachel and raise Cash as his own.
Rachel resigned from her job shortly after, receiving $100 in severance. The truck stop concluded: “As Maury Povich would say, ‘Paul, you are NOT the father—but you ARE the dad.’”