Was Adeline Watkins real? The true story behind Ed Gein's girlfriend in Monster

7 October 2025, 09:14

By Sam Prance

Here's where Adeline Watkins is now, her age when they allegely dated and how involved she actually was in Ed Gein's crimes.

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If you've watched Netflix's Monster: The Ed Gein Story, you may be wondering if Adeline Watkins is real. Did she date Ed Gein? Did she know about his crimes? And, if so, where is Adeline now and was she ever charged with anything?

Based on the true story of convicted murderer and grave-robber Ed Gein, Netlfix's latest instalment of Monster is one of the platform's darkest series yet. Ed was arrested in 1957 for killing hardware store owner Bernice Woodstein. In the aftermath, police found out that Ed's home was filled with keepsakes and furniture made of human remains.

In the new series, we see Ed date a girl named Adeline Watkins. In the show, Adeline discovers that Ed is a murderer and a body-snatcher. At first, Adeline seems shocked. However, she later continues to date him knowing what he's done. So what is the truth? Was Adeline complicit in Ed's crimes? Scroll down to find out the true story.

Read more: Monsters' Cooper Koch addresses Lyle and Erik Menendez kiss following backlash

Did Adeline Watkins date Ed Gein?

Adeline Watkins did exist but she was older than she's depicted in Monster. Shortly after Ed's arrest, a then 50-year-old Adeline Watkins claimed that she had dated Ed for 20 years. Born in 1907, Adeline lived in a small apartment with her mother and described Ed as "good and sweet and kind". Adeline's mother also backed up her claims.

According to People, Adeline told the Minneapolis Tribune that she often went on dates with Ed to the cinema. She said that they would also discuss books and crimes. She said: "I guess we discussed every murder we ever heard about. Eddie told [me] how the murderer did wrong, what mistakes he had made. I thought it was interesting."

Did Adeline Watkins help Ed Gein with his crimes?

Adeline also told the outlet that she turned down a proposal from Ed. However, she later retracted her claims and suggested that their relationship was only platonic. It's unclear if Adeline was lying initially or lied because she became uncomfortable with the fame that came with her relationship to a convicted criminal.

In contrast to the series, it's unclear if Adeline had any knowledge of Ed's crimes.

Meanwhile, Ed never publicly acknowledged Adeline.

Who plays Adeline Watkins in Monster: The Ed Gein Story?

Adeline Watkins is portayed by 29-year-old actress Suzanna Son in Netflix's Monster: The Ed Gein Story. This makes her around 20 years younger than Adeline would have been in the series. Before Monster, Suzanna was best known for appearing in The Idol as Chloe and Fear Street: Prom Queen as Megan Rogers.

Where is Adeline Watkins now? Is she still alive?

Little is known about what happened to Adeline Watkins after Ed Gein's case. However, given that she was born in 1907, it's likely that she has passed away.

Bookmark this page and we'll let you know if we find out anything more about Adeline.