Sophia Maddox reveals Charles Manson is her biological grandfather

Sophia Maddox, an aspiring filmmaker, discovered through DNA testing that her biological grandfather was the notorious American criminal Charles Manson. The revelation occurred in 2022 after Maddox’s father, Daniel Arguelles, used Ancestry DNA services to investigate his own origins.

Maddox described the moment of discovery as “devastating,” noting that her father had warned her the truth was “really dark.” Her experience and subsequent journey to understand her family history are featured in the Hulu documentary “My Grandfather Charles Manson,” in which she meets former followers of Manson to gain perspective on her lineage.