Actress Sydney Sweeney has more in common with Marilyn Monroe than just blonde hair -- she also shares DNA and is a distant relative of the βGentlemen Prefer Blondesβ star.
Marilyn Monroe and Sydney Sweeney are related, according to a new study by MyHeritage. https://t.co/kap4O5Mvu6
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) October 8, 2026
According to a new study by MyHeritage, Sweeney, 29, is a ninth cousin, one generation removed, to Monroe, who died in 1962.
They share a mutual ancestor named Ezra Perry, who was born around 1625 and died in 1689, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Perry was an early English settler in Sandwich, Massachusetts, the entertainment news website reported.
The connection comes through Sweeneyβs father, Steven Sweeney, and Monroeβs biological father, Charles Stanley Gifford, according to Entertainment Weekly.
It is not the first time the two actresses have been linked.
Sweeney wore a white dress at the premiere of βThe Housemaidβ in December 2025 that resembled the white blowing skirt Monroe wore in βThe Seven Year Itch,β according to The Hollywood Reporter.
At the 2026 Santa Barbara Film Festival, Sweeney wore a vintage Ceil Chapman gown that mirrored the look Monroe sported on the cover of Life magazine in April 1952, the entertainment news website reported.
But the comparisons now extend to genealogy.
βPeople 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,β Roi Mandel, director of research at MyHeritage, said in a statement. βUncovering their shared branch was incredible, itβs a powerful reminder that humanity is one vast family tree, and when we dig deep, we uncover how remarkably interconnected we all are.β
Sweeney has yet to comment about her newfound cousin, Entertainment Weekly reported.
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