In the wake of Netflix's latest true-crime hit, Monster: The Ed Gein Story, viewers are buzzing about the killer's supposed long-term girlfriend, Adeline Watkins. The series paints her as a close confidante, sharing twisted interests and even marriage talks over two decades. But did this relationship ever really exist, or is it just dramatic flair added to Gein's already gruesome tale?
Ed Gein, the infamous Wisconsin handyman arrested in 1957 for grave-robbing and murders that inspired films like Psycho, never married in real life. His isolation was profound, shaped by a domineering mother and a reclusive existence on his family farm. Enter Adeline Watkins, a Plainfield local who briefly stepped into the spotlight after his capture. In an interview with the Minneapolis Tribune that November, she claimed a 20-year affair with Gein, describing him as quiet, discreet, and surprisingly kind. She even said he'd proposed marriage back in 1955, during outings to movies and shared chats about books—particularly his fascination with global tribal customs from geography magazines.
Indeed, Watkins' story made headlines, amplified by her mother's comments suggesting a deep bond. It humanized Gein for a moment, portraying him as a lonely man seeking normalcy amid his horrors. However, just weeks later, she backtracked sharply in the Stevens Point Journal. The initial account, she insisted, was blown out of proportion. Their acquaintance only began in 1954, lasting about seven intermittent months—no grand romance, no proposal she could confirm, and certainly no entry into his macabre home. Sensationalism, it seemed, had twisted neighborly familiarity into something far more intimate.
The Netflix portrayal amps up the intrigue, with Suzanna Son as Watkins bonding over dark curiosities and witnessing Gein's descent. Yet, real records show no evidence of marriage or lasting partnership; Gein died single in 1984, institutionalized after insanity pleas. And Watkins? She faded from public view, leaving behind a cautionary note on how grief and notoriety can warp memories.
Still, in retelling these stories, one wonders how much truth gets lost in the shadow of spectacle.