Woman is heartbroken to find lost family photos at Goodwill, then she identified the major music star in them

Hannah Peters is currently in the process of returning a collection of cherished family photographs to Grammy-winning singer Jill Scott after discovering them at a Goodwill store. The 25-year-old, known as @whatshannahinto on TikTok, initially picked up the stack of old photographs assuming they were just another family’s forgotten memories.

Peters told People that something about the photos immediately caught her eye, giving off a “really personal, homey vibe.” Per People Magazine, she felt a pang of sadness seeing someone’s family history sitting there, so she decided to share her find. She filmed a quick video of the pictures and posted it to TikTok, hoping someone might recognize them.

It didn’t take long for viewers to notice something Peters hadn’t. Comments quickly started pouring in, with users pointing out a familiar face. One person exclaimed, “This casually being Jill Scott 😭.” Another user echoed the sentiment, writing, “Okay! So I’m not crazy — THAT IS Jill Scott! 😳😳😳.” The disbelief was clear, as someone else added, “That cannot be THE Jill Scott 🥺🥺 are those fr her childhood pics 😭😭😭😭.”

I am trying to decide if this is luck or coincidence

Initially, Peters wasn’t entirely convinced, but as more and more comments flooded her post, she took a closer look. She quickly realized the internet was right: the faces in the photos, which she’s keeping private for now, appeared to belong to the now 53-year-old “A Long Walk” singer. Peters described feeling “a mix of surprise, excitement, and responsibility to make sure they were safe” upon this realization.

With her video rapidly going viral, Peters decided to head back to see if any more of the photos were still there. To her surprise, most of them, including what looked like a school portrait, were still sitting on the shelf exactly where she’d first spotted them. Peters decided to scoop them all up, even photos with Scotts, just in case they are family photos. 

As the story picked up traction, Scott’s social media manager reached out to see if she would be willing to help return the photographs. In that moment, this already surprising thrift store find became something valuable. It may not be a treasure of monetary value, such as a found US treasure note or an antique Roman coin, but it has memories and emotional value for a celebrity. 

Viewers quickly rallied behind Peters’ efforts, flooding her comments with praise. One fan wrote, “As a long time Jill Scott fan thank you SO much for going back to get them and trying to get them back to her 💙.” Another user added, “The right person found them. It’s beautiful that you’re trying to get them returned. 💕”