Marilyn Monroe is officially a distant relative of actor Dakota Johnson, according to a press release issued by the genealogy platform MyHeritage. The genealogical connection emerges ahead of the Venice Film Festival premiere of the short film Flesh Impact, written and directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal, which features Johnson playing Monroe in her pomp alongside Ellen Burstyn.
How Marilyn Monroe and Dakota Johnson Share Ancestry
According to MyHeritage data, Marilyn Monroe and Dakota Johnson are ninth cousins three times removed. Their shared family history traces back to Richard and Charity Tydings, who lived as 17th-century English settlers in Maryland. Marilyn Monroe descends from the couple’s daughter Pretitia, while Dakota Johnson and her father, Don Johnson, trace their lineage back to Pretitia’s younger sister, Mary.
Other Notable Celebrity Ancestry Discoveries
Hollywood history features several other documented ancestral links between actors and historical figures they portray on screen. In the 2017 BBC series Gunpowder, actor Kit Harington played Robert Catesby, the leader of a Catholic group who planned the failed gunpowder plot in 1605. According to the website Famouskin, Harington is Catesby’s sixth cousin 11 times removed. Genealogical records also show that Harington’s 10th great-grandfather was James I, making the actor simultaneously related to a failed conspirator and that conspirator’s intended royal target, according to Famouskin data.
Benedict Cumberbatch shares multiple historical connections uncovered by genealogists. Ancestry revealed that Cumberbatch is the 16th cousin twice removed of author Arthur Conan Doyle, whom Cumberbatch did not portray, though he famously played detective Sherlock Holmes. When the actor starred as Alan Turing in the 2014 biopic The Imitation Game, Ancestry announced that Cumberbatch and Turing were 17th cousins sharing an ancestor in the first Earl of Somerset.
Literary and Supernatural Family Links
Ancestry platform findings extend beyond historical royalty and assassins into literature and folklore. Just one month after Taylor Swift announced her 2024 album The Tortured Poets Department, Ancestry discovered that the singer is the sixth cousin three times removed of poet Emily Dickinson. Separate claims also positioned Swift as the eighth cousin 11 times removed of French monarch King Louis XIV.
In the realm of folklore, genealogical research published in 2009 revealed that Emma Watson, known for playing a witch in the Harry Potter film franchise, is a distant descendant of Joan Playle. Playle was convicted of witchcraft in 1592 and excommunicated from the church, though historical records indicate the primary evidence against her centered on her unmarried status rather than magical acts.
Similarly, ahead of the release of The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, Ancestry determined that Robert Pattinson—who portrayed a vampire on screen—is distantly related to Vlad III, also known as Vlad the Impaler or Vlad Dracula. Historical records note that Vlad shares other relatives, including Prince William, Prince Harry, and George W Bush.
Did You Know?
Genealogical databases often link modern celebrities to historical figures through centuries-old migration records from 17th-century English settlements in North America. Platform updates routinely surface these connections around major film releases and album drops.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is Dakota Johnson related to Marilyn Monroe?
According to MyHeritage, Dakota Johnson and Marilyn Monroe are ninth cousins three times removed. They share 17th-century ancestors Richard and Charity Tydings of Maryland.
Are Benedict Cumberbatch and Alan Turing related?
Yes. According to Ancestry, Cumberbatch and Turing were 17th cousins who shared an ancestor in the first Earl of Somerset.
What historical figure is Robert Pattinson related to?
Genealogical research by Ancestry linked Robert Pattinson to Vlad III, also known as Vlad the Impaler or Vlad Dracula.
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