A topic of Jefferson's private life was the long-rumored liaison between Jefferson and his mixed-race slave Sally Hemings. She was a half-sister to his late wife, and the daughter of John Wayles and his slave Betty Hemings; Sally was three-quarters white.
A personal aspect of Jefferson's life that was subject to gossip was his alleged relationship with Sally Hemings, a mixed-race slave who shared a familial connection with his deceased spouse; Sally was the offspring of John Wayles and his slave Betty Hemings, comprising three-quarters white ancestry.