A Facebook post by Celina 52 Truck Stop, congratulating their cashier Rachel and her fiancé Paul Buckman on the birth of their son, Cash Jamal Buckman, unexpectedly ignited a firestorm of speculation online. The controversy arose because both Rachel and Paul are white, while baby Cash appears to be Black, leading many netizens to question Paul’s paternity. Instead of well-wishes, the post was flooded with comments suggesting Paul might not be the biological father of the newborn.
In an attempt to quell the immediate speculation, Celina 52 Truck Stop edited their original post, offering an explanation: “Yes, Paul is the father. Rachel has African American DNA in her which can skip generations and cause a child to be born with darker skin.” They also suggested the possibility of Cash having jaundice, a common newborn condition that can cause darker skin, concluding with a plea for kindness. However, despite this explanation, doubts and jokes persisted online, with users humorously suggesting DNA tests and expressing sympathy for Paul.
Facing continued skepticism, Rachel took matters into her own hands, sharing alleged DNA results on Facebook to prove her African American ancestry. She emphatically wrote, “For the haters saying that I [don’t] have black DNA maybe this will clear it up straight from my ancestry DNA results!!!! NOW STOP slandering mine and my [fiancé] Paul Buckman name. he IS the father of Lil Cash.” Yet, her efforts were largely met with more mockery, with comments like “That’s the strongest 1% I’ve ever seen… this looks like a job for Maury,” and others sharing similar DNA results without having Black-appearing children.
As the story gained significant traction across social media platforms, including TikTok, the Celina 52 Truck Stop escalated their response. They announced plans to conduct polygraph and DNA tests on their employees, further intensifying public interest and speculation about the outcome. This decision added fuel to the already raging fire, leaving many eagerly awaiting definitive answers from the truck stop’s investigation into the paternity claims.
The saga culminated on March 24, when Celina 52 Truck Stop issued their “FINAL STATEMENT REGARDING CASH JAMAL BUCKMAN PATERNITY” on Facebook. The post was direct: DNA results from the Steve Wilkos show confirmed that Paul Buckman is not Cash Jamal’s biological father. Despite this revelation, Rachel maintains her fidelity to Paul, claiming that Cash was conceived with her ex-boyfriend in 2021. She further asserts a highly unusual theory that his DNA remained dormant until 2023, when contracting COVID-19 allegedly “activated” it, resulting in her pregnancy.
