Danny Trejo meets niece during Hollywood brunch bus ride
TMZ says the actor learned a passenger was his niece while hosting a Hollywood tour that stopped at his restaurants.
By Poppy Nakagawa · Culture Writer
2 min read
Danny Trejo’s Hollywood bus gig turned into a family moment when a passenger told him she was his niece, according to TMZ.
The actor, best known to many fans as the star of “Machete,” was appearing on the TMZ Brunch Bus, where he spent time with guests during a ride through Hollywood, TMZ reported. The outing included music from the tour’s Vox DJ and stops tied to Trejo’s own food spots, Trejo’s Coffee & Donuts and Trejo’s Tacos.
During the ride, TMZ said, a woman on board leaned toward Trejo and told him that his sister Marlene is her mother. The moment shifted the celebrity tour into an unexpected family reunion, with cameras rolling as Trejo took in the news.
TMZ reported that Trejo and Marlene were separated when he was young, adding extra weight to the encounter. The outlet did not provide further details about how long Trejo and the passenger had been out of contact or whether they had previously met.
Video posted by TMZ shows Trejo reacting warmly after learning the woman’s connection to his family. TMZ said he was so pleased by the moment that he sent a shoutout to Harvey Levin, the outlet’s founder and longtime on-camera figure.
The reunion played out as part of a branded entertainment tour rather than a planned family gathering. Trejo had been guiding fans around Hollywood and visiting his restaurant locations when the passenger revealed the connection, according to TMZ.
The brunch bus has featured other celebrity guests in recent months, according to TMZ’s own coverage, including Lizzo, Diplo and Major Lazer member America Foster, Abby Lee Miller and Brandi Glanville. In Trejo’s case, the guest appearance came with a personal twist that the tour itself did not appear to advertise in advance.
TMZ directed viewers to its full video of the encounter, which shows more of the exchange between Trejo and the passenger. The outlet framed the moment as an impromptu Trejo family reunion that unfolded in front of the tour crowd.
Trejo has not issued a separate public statement about the meeting beyond what appears in the TMZ video, according to the outlet’s report.
This story draws on original reporting from TMZ.