FAMILY SECRET

Filmmaker Left ‘Devastated’ After Learning Charles Manson Was Her Grandfather

A DNA test uncovered the shocking family connection, inspiring a deeply personal Hulu documentary.

A filmmaker says she was left “devastated” after an ancestry test revealed one of America’s most infamous killers was her grandfather. Sophia Maddox, 26, told the New York Post she broke down in tears after learning her father, Daniel Arguelles, was the biological son of Charles Manson, the cult leader convicted in the notorious 1969 murders that terrorized Hollywood. Maddox recalled feeling “dumbstruck” as her father comforted her, assuring her they were “nothing like him.” The shocking discovery became the basis for her new Hulu documentary, My Grandfather Charles Manson, which follows her efforts to understand her family’s history while interviewing people connected to Manson’s life and crimes. Maddox said examining the factors that shaped Manson should not be mistaken for defending him, arguing that confronting the past is essential to breaking cycles of abuse. She added that while she recognizes a family streak of creativity, she feels no personal connection to Manson beyond the painful truth of their biological relationship.