Was Adeline Watkins real? Ed Gein biographer slams ‘wild’ Monster Season 3

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The Netflix series *Monster* Season 3 focuses on Adeline Watkins as a significant figure in Ed Gein’s life, second only to his mother. However, the author of Gein’s biography has criticized the show, calling its portrayal of their relationship inaccurate and exaggerated.

The movie *Monster: The Ed Gein Story* features Charlie Hunnam as Ed Gein, the real-life killer whose horrific crimes heavily influenced famous horror characters like Norman Bates from *Psycho*, Leatherface from *The Texas Chain Saw Massacre*, and Buffalo Bill from *The Silence of the Lambs*.

The latest installment of the true crime series, Monster, created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, takes some creative liberties with the facts. For example, the show depicts Ed Gein assisting in the search for Ted Bundy, which never actually happened.

One key reason for portraying this is to illustrate how Ed Gein’s mental health deteriorated, as he was diagnosed with schizophrenia following his arrest. However, because the character of Adeline (played by Suzanna Son) is so important, it’s understandable that viewers have questions about her role. Please be aware that some of the content may be upsetting.

Was Adeline Watkins real?

Adeline Watkins was a real person who lived in Plainfield, Wisconsin. Although early reports suggested she had a 20-year romantic relationship with Ed Gein, she later stated that those claims were not entirely true and that parts of her story had been embellished.

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Harold Schechter, a true crime author and expert on serial killers, details this in his ’90s book, *Deviant: True Story of Ed Gein – The Original Psycho*. The book references a seldom-seen interview Watkins gave to the Minneapolis Tribune just after Gein’s arrest in 1957.

According to the report, Watkins, then 50 years old and living with her mother, remembered her final date with Gein on February 6, 1955. She stated, “He proposed to me that night.”

He didn’t say it directly, but I understood his intentions. I rejected his offer, not because of anything he did, but because of my own insecurities. I was worried I wouldn’t be good enough to meet his expectations.

When asked what they enjoyed doing together, Watkins explained that she and Eddie often talked about books. They didn’t always read the same titles, but they both enjoyed discussing them. Eddie was particularly interested in books about lions, tigers, Africa, and India.

Before the reported proposal, Watkins said she and Gein typically went on dates around twice a week, frequently going to the movies. Her mother, who was with her during the interview, also mentioned that Gein was very polite.

I always remember Watkins saying he enjoyed a beer now and then, but getting Eddie to go to a pub was a real effort! He much preferred popping into a drugstore for a milkshake – that was more his speed, honestly.

She explained that the relationship ended because of her own actions. She felt guilty, saying Eddie was always accommodating and she worried she’d been unfair to him by letting him do everything she wanted.

Even after learning about the terrible crimes Eddie Gein committed, Watkins reportedly said, “I loved him and I still do.” According to Schechter, this statement caused a stir in Plainfield, as people didn’t recall Gein ever having a relationship with a woman.

Shortly after the interview was published, Watkins reached out to Ed Marolla at the Sun with a completely new account of her connection to Gein, he explained.

In an article for the Stevens Point Journal, Watkins criticized a story in the Tribune, claiming it was overly dramatic, sensationalized, and included false information.

According to the report, Miss Watkins stated that Gein had visited her home for only seven months, and not consistently. She explained that he would occasionally stop by in the afternoons or evenings, and that she and her husband had gone to the Plainfield Theater with him ‘a few times’.

Furthermore, Watkins stated that the movie *Monster: The Ed Gein Story* inaccurately portrays events. She insists she never went to Gein’s house and certainly never saw the human remains he’d gathered.

According to Schechter, Adeline Watkins insisted the widely publicized story about her romantic involvement with the man accused of Wisconsin’s most horrific crimes was completely false.

Ed Gein biographer slams ‘wild’ Monster Season 3 

I was really surprised to hear that someone involved in the original case is speaking out about *Monster* on Netflix! Apparently, Schechter – who was there at the time – is pretty critical of Season 3, saying it takes a lot of liberties with what *actually* happened. It’s sad Adeline Watkins isn’t here to give her perspective, but it’s interesting to hear Schechter’s take on how much the show deviates from the truth.

He told the New York Post he felt upset and angry when he learned Ryan Murphy was planning a season about Ed Gein. He worried Murphy and his co-creator, Ian Brennan, would essentially copy his book, claiming the story was already public knowledge.

Schechter said that while they believe the show used their book without permission, the biggest issue is how much the show’s portrayal differs from what actually happened in the case.

A lot of what’s shown is completely made up. I’m really bothered that viewers will likely believe it’s an accurate portrayal of Ed Gein’s life.

Okay, so I’ve been reading about the Ed Gein case, and apparently a lot of what you see in shows and movies isn’t actually true. The stuff about his controlling mom, digging up graves, and yeah, making things out of body parts – that part is real. But according to one expert, a huge amount of the story is just made up for dramatic effect. It’s kinda unsettling to find out how much is fiction when it’s based on something so creepy and real!

Schechter highlights the portrayal of Watkins as a particularly memorable part of the series, describing her as a “beautiful young woman” in Monster.

He added that the actual Adeline Watkins, and he didn’t want to be unkind, looked a lot like Margaret Hamilton, who played the Wicked Witch in The Wizard of Oz, if you looked at pictures of her.

I really don’t think they had a relationship at all. It seems like the extent of their connection might have been a single time Gein possibly asked her to go roller skating.

She actively sought attention. After the crimes in Plainfield drew media coverage, she unexpectedly claimed to be Ed Gein’s girlfriend.

Schechter stated the scene depicting Ed Gein assisting police in the Ted Bundy investigation is completely fabricated. He also clarified that portraying Gein as a serial killer is inaccurate.

According to the writer, the term ‘serial killer’ originally described a particularly dangerous type of criminal: a deeply disturbed person who committed sexually motivated murders, finding sexual gratification through the torture and killing of their victims, much like Ted Bundy or John Wayne Gacy.

That wasn’t the core of Gein’s crimes. While he did kill two women, the killings themselves were quick. His main focus was taking their bodies home so he could dissect them.

You can now watch “Monster: The Ed Gein Story” on Netflix. Plus, discover all the new movies coming to Netflix this month and see what TV shows are scheduled for release in 2025.

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2025-10-14 14:50