Sydney Sweeney and Marilyn Monroe have been compared for years, but it turns out their connection goes a little deeper than Old Hollywood glamour and blonde hair.
The two actresses are actually distant relatives.
A new study from MyHeritage found that Sweeney and Monroe are ninth cousins, once removed. Researchers traced the connection through Sweeney’s father, Steven Sweeney, and Monroe’s biological father, Charles Stanley Gifford, per Entertainment Weekly.
Their family trees eventually meet through a shared ancestor named Ezra Perry, who lived in Sandwich, Massachusetts, during the 1600s.
Of course, ninth cousins once removed is a very distant connection. Sweeney is not a descendant of Monroe or part of her immediate family. Still, the discovery comes after the “Euphoria” star has spent years drawing comparisons to the Hollywood icon and even intentionally channeling some of her most memorable looks.
“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,” Roi Mandel, director of research at MyHeritage, said in a statement.
Sydney Sweeney Has Channeled Marilyn Monroe More Than Once
The timing makes Sweeney’s recent Monroe-inspired fashion moments even more interesting.
In February, Sweeney attended the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in a vintage Ceil Chapman gown that looked nearly identical to one Monroe wore on her first “LIFE” magazine cover in 1952.
Sweeney’s stylist, Molly Dickson, confirmed that Monroe’s look was the inspiration behind the outfit, according to PEOPLE. The cream-colored, off-the-shoulder gown featured dramatic ruching and a brooch at the center.
That wasn’t the first time Sweeney embraced her inner Marilyn.
At the Los Angeles premiere of “The Housemaid” in December 2025, she wore a white Galia Lahav gown with a full feathered skirt reminiscent of Monroe’s famous white dress in the 1955 movie “The Seven Year Itch.”
A month later, Sweeney once again appeared to channel Monroe for “W Magazine,” wearing her blonde hair in vintage curls similar to the late actress’ signature look.
All of those moments happened before the actresses’ distant family connection was publicly revealed.
Even Scooter Braun Has Compared Sydney Sweeney to Marilyn Monroe
Sweeney’s boyfriend, Scooter Braun, has apparently noticed the similarities, too.
In September, a source told Page Six that Braun “thinks she is the modern Marilyn Monroe” as the outlet reported that the couple’s relationship was becoming more serious.
Sweeney and Braun reportedly began dating after meeting at Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez’s wedding in Venice in June 2025.
Now, the Monroe comparison comes with an unexpected family connection that neither Sweeney nor the public appeared to know about when she was recreating the icon’s looks.
Sweeney had not publicly commented on the MyHeritage discovery at the time of the reports.
Mandel said finding the shared branch between the two actresses was “incredible” and a reminder of how connected people can be when their family histories are traced far enough back.
“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,” he said.
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Sydney Sweeney Is Related to Marilyn Monroe. Here’s the Surprising Connection