Sydney Sweeney and Marilyn Monroe Are Ninth Cousins, Once Removed

Genealogical research by MyHeritage has confirmed that actress Sydney Sweeney and Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe are ninth cousins, once removed, sharing a common ancestor from the 17th century. The connection traces through the women's paternal lines: Sweeney's father, Steven Sweeney, and Monroe's biological father, Charles Stanley Gifford, both descend from Ezra Perry (c. 1625–1689), an early English settler in Sandwich, Massachusetts.

The discovery was announced on October 7, 2026, by MyHeritage's research team. Roi Mandel, director of research at MyHeritage, noted the finding as "a powerful reminder that humanity is one vast family tree, and when we dig deep, we uncover how remarkably interconnected we all are." The genealogical platform has verified the connection through historical records tracing both family branches.

The revealed kinship aligns with years of public comparisons between the two actresses. Sweeney has frequently drawn inspiration from Monroe's iconic Old Hollywood aesthetic. In December 2025, Sweeney wore a custom Galia Lahav white halter dress to the premiere of "The Housemaid" resembling Monroe's famous white skirt ensemble from "The Seven Year Itch" (1955). At the 2026 Santa Barbara Film Festival, she wore a vintage Ceil Chapman gown similar to one Monroe wore on the cover of LIFE magazine in April 1952.

MyHeritage also revealed additional celebrity connections in its research. Dakota Johnson, who portrayed a version of Monroe in Maggie Gyllenhaal's short film "Flesh Impact," was found to be Monroe's ninth cousin, three times removed. Naama Lanski, a researcher at MyHeritage, stated that "discovering that Dakota Johnson and Marilyn Monroe are related turns the casting into a real-life family story."

Sweeney, 29, is known for her role as Cassie Howard in the HBO series "Euphoria" and has appeared in films including "Christy" (2025) and "Echo Valley" (2025). Monroe died in 1962 at age 36. The genealogical finding adds biographical context to Sweeney's long-standing admiration for the late actress and her consistent visual homages to Monroe's cultural legacy.