Actress digs into past after Charles Manson DNA link
Actress Sophia Maddox explores her shocking DNA link to Charles Manson in the Hulu documentary My Grandfather Charles Manson, streaming Wednesday, July 22. The film follows how her father confirmed the connection through Ancestry.com and DNA testing, and how Maddox sought answers from former Manson Family members.
Key Takeaways
- Sophia Maddox’s documentary My Grandfather Charles Manson premieres on Hulu and Disney+ on Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
- Her father, Daniel, confirmed the tie after finding Manson’s known son Michael Brunner on Ancestry.com in 2022, then taking a DNA test.
- Maddox, 26, interviewed former Manson Family members, including Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme, to form her own view of him.
- Family lore says Daniel’s mother realized in the late 1960s that “Charlie Dear” was Charles Manson but never told her son.
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Who is Charles Manson’s granddaughter in the new Hulu film?
According to the New York Daily News, Maddox is a 26-year-old actress and filmmaker whose search for an unknown grandfather led to a bombshell: she is related to Charles Manson, the cult leader convicted of orchestrating nine murders in 1969.
Her father, Daniel, did not confirm the connection until a DNA test followed his discovery of Michael Brunner—a known son of Manson—on Ancestry.com in 2022. Maddox has since formed a bond with Brunner.
How did the family learn about the Charles Manson link?
Per family lore reported by the Daily News, Daniel’s mother—who died in 2022—never spoke about her son’s biological father. She reportedly realized in the late 1960s that Charles Manson was the same “Charlie Dear” with whom she had a fateful fling.
Maddox has said the revelation paved the way for a sort of estrangement with her father. Still, she told People she is grateful to have uncovered “my family’s truth, not just … the sensational ones.”
What does ‘My Grandfather Charles Manson’ cover on Hulu?
The documentary tracks Maddox as she comes to terms with the discovery and gathers interviews with people who knew Manson, rather than relying only on media or prosecutors’ accounts. Among those she spoke with was Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme, later portrayed by Dakota Fanning in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood.
Syracuse.com notes the Hulu premiere arrives around midnight on July 22, including for viewers who access Hulu through Disney+. Hulu also highlights never-before-heard audio and newly uncovered records alongside the emotional toll on Sophia and her family.
Manson died behind bars in November 2017 at age 83 after more than 40 years in prison. Victims of the 1969 killings included actress Sharon Tate and several others.