So, Are Plies and Kirk Franklin Brothers — or at Least Related?

Those of us who grew up in the church but sometimes attend the club on the weekends are familiar with both Plies and Kirk Franklin. While the two are on very opposite ends of the spectrum in the music world, fans can’t help but notice that they are kind of twins. So, are Plies and Kirk Franklin brothers? 

Although it’s nice to imagine that all of our favorite celebrities are part of one big, happy family, we're sad to tell you that Kirk is not related to Aretha Franklin or Devon Franklin, and while the two bear a strong resemblance and are even the same height, ancestry reveals that Plies and Kirk are not brothers.

While the famous doppelgängers may have never shared a womb, they did share a few laughs on social media after the rapper asked Kirk to meet him at a Miami strip club. Plies said in an Instagram video, “Y'all tell Kirk Franklin I say I wanna take him to King of Diamonds."

He joked, "He can go in, he ain't even gotta get no dancers, he can go right in and turn right back around and go take him a holy bath. Kirk, listen, you go to King of Diamonds with me and I'll go to church with you, an even swap."

To many fans' surprise, the gospel singer responded to the rapper's invitation, offering him quid pro quo. Kirk replied in his own Instagram video, captioning it, "Y'all tell @plies that the album is called 'Losing My Religion' not 'Lost My Religion.'"

"Next time I come to Miami, you gotta come to a Baptist church with me, and sit through a three-hour church service with tambourines and a church cookout. And then, I may walk by the club. I may walk on the parking lot and just walk on the curb," he said. 

Later, Kirk, who has collaborated with rappers like Chance the Rapper in the past, explained the real reason he responded to his celebrity look-alike's invitation. “I want to show people that as a Christian, we are not untouchable. That can be very disrespectful for another human being to say something to you and because he's not a church person I can't say nothing back," he said.

There is no evidence that Plies and Kirk Franklin are siblings, but the gospel entertainer does have a sister who is serving a 30-year sentence in prison.

A few years ago, Kirk took to Instagram to open up about his sister, who was introduced to drugs by a former boyfriend and later incarcerated. He wrote at the time, "My sister was just sentenced to 30 years in prison... I now feel the weight of wondering if I could've done more..."

In 2015, Kirk shared on his blog, “For over ten years, my younger sister was incarcerated in a facility here in Texas. She was in love with a young man who was drug dealer. He introduced her to not only selling drugs, but using as well."

He continued, “When he was arrested for drug trafficking, she was arrested along with him. After she served her time, she was brought before the review board who determined she was ready to be released and brought back into society. The documents were signed and she was set free… but only on paper.”

After her first time being released from prison, Kirk’s sister relapsed and ultimately resorted to prostitution to support her drug habit. She was later sentenced to 30 years in a Texas state prison for an unspecified charge.

If you or someone you know needs help, use SAMHSA’s Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator to find support for mental health and substance use disorders in your area: https://findtreatment.samhsa.gov, or call 1-800-662-4357 for 24-hour assistance.