Plot twist: Sydney Sweeney is related to Marilyn Monroe
Turns out Sydney Sweeney and Marilyn Monroe share more than fame, as a new MyHeritage study says they’re related—the exact branch on that family tree is the twist.
Apparently, Hollywood’s got more family ties than anyone expected. The latest? Sydney Sweeney and Marilyn Monroe are actually related—no, really, and not just in the ‘everyone in LA knows everyone’ sort of way.
Sydney Sweeney and Marilyn Monroe are ninth cousins, once removed, with their distant connection tracing back to a shared ancestor in the 1600s, according to a MyHeritage family tree.
They’ve Got History
This fun bit of Hollywood trivia comes out of a new MyHeritage study, as reported this week. Turns out both Sweeney and Monroe—two actresses who already get compared endlessly for their looks—share a chunk of old New England DNA. Their connection goes all the way back to Ezra Perry, born around 1625, who rocked up in what is now Sandwich, Massachusetts. So yes, ninth cousins once removed is still basically the family reunion circuit when you’re talking about 17th-century colonists.
‘People have always drawn parallels between Sydney Sweeney and Marilyn Monroe, but seeing their paths align on a deeper level inspired us to look for a real bond in the MyHeritage archives,’ said Roi Mandel, director of research at MyHeritage. ‘Uncovering their shared branch was incredible, it’s a powerful reminder that humanity is one vast family tree, and when we dig deep, we uncover how remarkably interconnected we all are,’ Mandel added.
It’s not just their genes that get people talking. Sweeney’s sense of style has been leaning heavily on Monroe’s old-school glamour for a while. Think her white dress at The Housemaid premiere in December 2025 (very Seven Year Itch, if you ask me), or the vintage Ceil Chapman gown she turned up in at the 2026 Santa Barbara Film Festival—a dead ringer for Monroe’s 1952 LIFE magazine cover.
Monroe Obsessed (But Still Uncast)
Sweeney’s not actually portrayed Monroe in a film—at least, not yet. The big-name Monroe parts have gone to Ana de Armas (Blonde) and Michelle Williams (My Week with Marilyn), and both got themselves Oscar nods for it. Doesn’t seem impossible Sweeney might end up with the gig someday, now she’s got the paperwork to prove a distant bond.
The Hollywood Monroe Web
Speaking of family ties, Dakota Johnson also just popped up in Monroe’s family tree. Johnson, who recently played a sort-of Monroe in Maggie Gyllenhaal’s short film Flesh Impact, is apparently Marilyn’s ninth cousin, three times removed. According to another MyHeritage researcher, Naama Lanski, the discovery was a happy accident kicked off by new Monroe projects hitting screens again.
- Sydney Sweeney: Monroe’s ninth cousin, once removed; never played her on film so far
- Dakota Johnson: Monroe’s ninth cousin, three times removed; portrayed a Monroe-like figure in Flesh Impact
- Mutual ancestor for Sweeney and Monroe: Ezra Perry, c. 1625-1689, Sandwich, Massachusetts
- Style inspirations between Sweeney and Monroe have already fuelled comparisons