My Christmas Family Tree ending explained: Is Richard Vanessa's real father?

The comedy-drama film My Christmas Family Tree premiered on the Hallmark Channel on November 14, 2021. The story focused on Vanessa Hall, a social worker residing in New York.

Encouraged by her friend DeeDee, Vanessa decided to take an online DNA test, which revealed that Richard Hendricks from Barrington, Connecticut, was her father. After this revelation, she called Richard and he invited her to spend Christmas with his family.

However, upon her arrival, she started to suspect that Richard may not actually be her birth father. Her doubts were confirmed by the DNA agency which alleged that there was a test results mix-up. She returned home, but Richard visited her with his family, after finding an old photograph of Vanessa's mother, which confirmed that Richard was Vanessa's biological father.

Watch My Christmas Family Tree currently streaming on Hallmark Plus.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers. Please read at your discretion.

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Under what circumstances did Vanessa meet Richard and his family in My Christmas Family Tree?

Vanessa spent most of her life living independently and had become quite adept at managing things on her own. She was not particularly interested in taking a DNA test. However, when her close friend DeeDee asked her to participate in one online to explore her ancestry, she decided to give it a try.

After receiving the test results from the agency that administered the test, Vanessa discovered that her father was a man named Richard. She reached out to him and received an invitation to spend Christmas at his home in Connecticut.

Upon her arrival, she also met Richard's current wife, Pauline, along with three of their children: Caitlin, Aiden, and Emilia. Although some of them initially exhibited passive aggressiveness toward Vanessa, they all eventually warmed upto her by the end of the movie.

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Do Vanessa and Kris end up together in My Christmas Family Tree?

As revealed in My Christmas Family Tree, Kris had been a member of Richard's family for quite some time. When Vanessa visited Richard for the first time, he sent Kris to pick her up and bring her to his home.

From their initial encounter, there was a spark between the two, which often led to shared glances of affection at various occasions. During the Christmas celebrations, Kris even invited her on a proper date. Although Vanessa was initially hesitant, she finally succumbed to Kris's charm and his skills as a lawyer, as he claimed.

However, shortly after, the situation took a turn for the worse when Vanessa disclosed that the agency that conducted the DNA test had reported that Richard was not her biological father.

Kris was doubtful about the next steps to take, so he reached out to Richard for guidance. Richard advised him to pursue Vanessa and not let her slip away, despite her not being associated with the family anymore (a claim that was later found to be untrue).

Kris followed Richard's advice and went to Vanessa's place after she had left following the disheartening revelation. He expressed his feelings for her, which were reciprocated by Vanessa. By the end of My Christmas Family Tree, their relationship was solidified.

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My Christmas Family Tree is currently available for viewing on multiple streaming platforms. These include Hallmark Plus, Philo, fuboTV, Sling TV, The Roku Channel, YouTube TV, Amazon Prime Video, Fandango at Home, Google Play Movies, and Apple TV Plus.