My Grandfather Charles Manson - New Doc

I was originally asked to be a part of this documentary, but for personal reasons I stepped back and walked away before any NDAs were signed. I wish Sophia all the best and hope she gets and finds what she is looking for in life. That said, I will keep opinions to myself concerning certain matters, but I also want to emphasize that the current use of the Maddox last name has nothing to do with any opinion I do or don't have. 

To clarify-and to avoid coming across as sounding bitter-the deciding factor in my choice to step away was simply that I disagreed with Sophia's original vision for the project. Her early ideas were based on unfounded claims. For example, she had planned to contact surviving family members of the victims, such as the surviving family members of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca just to ask ridiculously absurd questions, such as, "Did Rosemary LaBianca sell or supply LSD to Tex Watson through Joel Rostau?" 

That is just a small gist of the original ideas presented. I wanted no part of that, nor did I want to jeopardize the existing communications and relationships I hold. After discussing my reservations with a friend and realizing the direction the project was heading at that time, I knew I had to bow out. 

The documentary also features George Stimson, Nik Schreck, and Derek Haze (also known as Black Wolf). Apparently Derek provides Sophia with recordings of calls between himself and Charlie.  I have to admit, those would be interesting to hear.  

Here we get an updated look at Danny Arguelles 

 A brief summary of the documentary: 

The three-part series beings with Danny, who learned while his mother was dying that the man who raised him was not his biological father. In 2015, he decided to take a DNA test through Ancestry.com to see if he could locate his real father. The results connected him with a newly found half-brother through the Maddox side of the family, and it was then that Danny discovered his relation to Charles Manson after conversing with his half-brother. 

Armed with this life-altering revelation, Sophia plunges into her family's "dark history." Because of her lineage, she supposedly gains access to previously unseen and unheard recordings, as well as "secret" documents relating to Charlie's psychopathy. Through her investigation, Sophia explores the underworld of the so called "Manson family" and their responsibility for the 1969 murders. 

The documentary heavily focuses on generational trauma and identity. From a psychological standpoint, it is odd for Sophia to claim generational trauma if that happens to be the case. She never knew Charles Manson, much less communicated with him, nor did she know the victims or their families. In fact, during my time of knowing her, she didn't know anything about the case.

The series highlights the heavy emotional toll the revelation takes and the immense strain it places on Sophia and her father. I believe she may be confusing stigmatization with generational trauma. However if you really wish to learn what generational trauma is, look into the history of Native Amerians-whose trauma was handed down from generation to generation through land dispossession, destruction of culture, forced assimilation, and systemic poverty. 

Throughout the documentary, Sophia wrestles with the unsettling question of what traits we inherit from our ancestors.  At one point, she even takes a psychological questionnaire akin to the one Manson took to see if they share any behavioral similarities. The show ultimately asks whether we are destined to repeat "dark histories" we inherit, or if we can forge our own path. 

Psychologically speaking, if she were psychopathic, she would have known it long before now. It doesn't develop overnight. During childhood, a person with psychopathic traits is typically diagnosed with Conduct Disorder, as outlined in the DSM-5 (the manual psychiatry uses to diagnose and treat mental disorders). By late adolescence and early adulthood, if those traits persist, the diagnosis becomes Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD). I'm curious as well to see how that works out for her. 

As a side note, the word "antisocial" is vastly misused these days. I've known patients that describe or refer to themselves as "antisocial" simply because they aren't highly social, and I've seen Facebook photo's with banners that say "Sometimes Antisocial, Always [insert cause here]." In clinical terms, Antisocial Personalty Disorder is a chronic pattern of violating the rights of others. Someone with ASPD may exploit or deceive others for personal gain and demonstrate little to no remorse or empathy for their actions. When people casually say they are antisocial, they are inadvertently claiming to embody everything ASPD represents as a disorder, they just don't know it or realize it...but that is another topic for another time.

Premieres July 22, 2026 on Hulu 

You can watch the trailer here