She Did a DNA Test and Discovered She Has a Notorious Grandfather: Charles Manson (Exclusive)
She Did a DNA Test and Discovered She Has a Notorious Grandfather: Charles Manson (Exclusive)
Stacy LambeThu, July 9, 2026 at 3:30 PM UTC
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Sophia Maddox in ‘My Grandfather Charles Manson’Credit: Disney
Filmmaker Sophia Maddox discovered she is Charles Manson’s granddaughter through a DNA test, sparking a personal investigation
The Hulu documentary, My Grandfather Charles Manson, explores Manson’s lineage, generational trauma and the ongoing impact of his crimes on Maddox
Previously unknown family records and audio recordings reveal new insights into Manson’s life and sociopathy
Nearly nine years after Charles Manson‘s death, revelations about the cult leader are still being unearthed — including one shocking discovery about his lineage.
In PEOPLE’s exclusive first look at the upcoming Hulu documentary, My Grandfather Charles Manson, filmmaker Sophia Maddox learns that she is a descendant of the notorious convicted criminal and perpetrator of several gruesome murders during the late 1960s — marking a new branch of Manson’s real-life family that has not been publicly revealed before now.
After taking a DNA test, Maddox learns the truth about her previously unknown grandfather — someone who bears a striking resemblance to her father, Daniel Arguelles. The personal revelation then leads her down a rabbit hole as she grapples with her newfound identity while also learning more about the sprawling underworld surrounding the Manson family, which was responsible for the infamous murder of a then-pregnant Sharon Tate and six other people across two nights in August 1969.
As Maddox traces her grandfather’s life, “her genetics unlock never-before-released records and exclusive audio recordings that illuminate Manson’s pathology in startling ways,” according to an official synopsis, which adds: “The more Sophia uncovers, the more her relationship with her father is strained. For Sophia, there’s no turning back. What has she inherited, and how will she reckon with her family legacy?”
“After I learned Charles Manson was my grandfather through a DNA test, I started filming myself because I didn’t know how else to cope with the news,” Maddox exclusively tells PEOPLE about the project, which is set to premiere on Wednesday, July 22.
“What began as a way to process a shocking family discovery became a deeper investigation into generational trauma, identity, and whether we’re destined to repeat the stories we inherit. Ultimately, I hope the film reminds people that while we can’t choose where we come from, we can choose what we do with that history,” she continues.
Prior to the revelations made about Manson’s lineage in the documentary, it was publicly known that he had three sons: Charles Manson Jr., Charles Luther Manson and Michael Brunner.
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Sophia Maddox with her father, Daniel ArguellesCredit: Disney
Manson Jr. — who later legally changed his name to Jay White — was born to Rosalie Jean Willis on April 10, 1956, according to a birth certificate obtained by Los Angeles Magazine. Little is known about Manson’s eldest son, who died by suicide at age 37 on June 29, 1993, per CNN.
Manson Jr. had a surviving adult son, Jason Freeman, who was given custody of Manson’s remains after he died in jail in 2017, The Northwest Florida Daily News reported at the time.
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Charles Luther was the son of Manson and Leona Rae Musser (who was also known as “Candy Stevens”). He legally changed his name to Jay Charles Warner in 1976 and died in 2007 in Colorado, per The Las Cruces Bulletin.
Born Valentine Michael Manson in 1968, Brunner is Manson’s son with Mary Theresa Brunner, an early member of the Manson family, according to the Los Angeles Times. His maternal grandparents, Elsie and George Brunner, officially adopted him in 1976, and Michael has since kept a relatively low profile after growing up in the Midwest. He reportedly works in manufacturing, has an adult son and lives with his partner.
My Grandfather Charles Manson is directed by Maddox and Alexandra Orton. The documentary is produced by Matt Renner for SMUGGLER Entertainment, Alexandra Orton and Eric Cook, and is executive produced by Maddox for Joan of Arc Pictures and Tim Pastore, Brian Carmody and Patrick Milling-Smith for SMUGGLER Entertainment.
My Grandfather Charles Manson is available to stream starting Wednesday, July 22, on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers in the U.S. and Disney+ internationally.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
