A DNA test led a filmmaker to a shocking discovery: Charles Manson was her grandfather

What if a DNA test revealed that your grandfather is none other than Charles Manson, the notorious cult leader who ordered the Tate–LaBianca murders around LA in 1969? Hulu's upcoming documentary titled My Grandfather Charles Manson explores this nightmarish reality for filmmaker Sophia Maddox, after a DNA test revealed her shocking ties with the infamous criminal.

Brought to you by Matt Renner, Alexandra Orton and Eric Cook, the upcoming documentary is directed by Maddox and Alexandra Orton, with Maddox, Tim Pastore, Brian Carmody and Patrick Milling-Smith serving as executive producers.

A recently released trailer for My Grandfather Charles Manson follows Sophia Maddox as she confronts her father about her family's ties with the notorious cult leader and sets out to uncover the truth behind his evil ways and how much of it has passed on to her. The documentary will explore Maddox's quest to trace her lineage, while coming to terms with the shocking ties between her family and the Manson family.

My Grandfather Charles Manson: What is the upcoming documentary about?

According to Hulu, the official synopsis for the documentary reads as follows:

“Sophia was always the good girl growing up and her father’s rock, but her quest to identify her unknown grandfather results in a shocking discovery: he is Charles Manson, history’s most notorious criminal, and he bears striking physical similarities to her beloved father.''

The upcoming documentary details Sophia Maddox's quest to trace her grandfather, only to discover that he is none other than the notorious criminal and cult leader. After taking a DNA test, the shocking results take the filmmaker into the underworld of the Manson family members. Maddox's discovery leads her to never-before-released genetic records and exclusive audio recordings that illuminate Manson’s pathology.

My Grandfather Charles Manson not only reveals Maddox's shocking ties with the notorious criminal but also explores how this discovery strained her relationship with her father. While the filmmaker was determined to trace her lineage, the documentary will explore how Maddox grapples with this truth and carries the weight of this shocking legacy.

In her interview with People Magazine, Maddox revealed that while she was searching for a way to cope with this family secret, she began filming herself. The documentary eventually became Maddox's investigation into generational trauma and identity. The filmmaker reflected that the upcoming project asks important questions about lineage and identity.

More about the Manson family

A still from the trailer (Image via YouTube/Hulu)

Born in November 1934, Charles Manson was a notorious criminal, cult leader and the founder of the Manson Family, the infamous cult responsible for murdering a then- 8 1/2 months pregnant Sharon Tate and six other people around Los Angeles in August 1969.

Even before the murders, Manson had spent half his life in correctional institutions, gathering his cult followers through his inclinations towards music.

Before Sophia Maddox's shocking ties to the notorious cult leader, Manson was publicly known to have three sons: Charles Manson Jr., Charles Luther Manson and Michael Brunner. While Manson's eldest son died by su*c*de at age 37 in June 1993, Charles Luther died in 2007. Meanwhile, Michael Brunner was adopted by his maternal grandparents, Elsie and George, in 1976. Manson's surviving son had since kept a low profile. It was reported that he lives in the Midwest with his adult son & partner and works in manufacturing.

Manson died from complications from colon cancer in 2017, following which Manson Jr.'s surviving adult son, Jason Freeman, was given custody of his remains.