Is Sydney Sweeney Marilyn Monroe's 9th Cousin? Family Link Revealed Amid Controversial $2 Billion Novig Ad

Sydney Sweeney and Marilyn Monroe are ninth cousins once removed, MyHeritage said on 7 October, confirming a blood tie between the blonde icons as Sweeney stars in a nude Novig advert for a $2 billion (£1.5 billion) sports prediction market.

A Blood Link Four Centuries Old

The genealogy firm traced the connection through both women's fathers. Sweeney descends from Steven Sweeney, while Monroe's line runs through her biological father, Charles Stanley Gifford. Both trace back to Ezra Perry, an early settler in Sandwich, Massachusetts, who died in 1689. That shared ancestor makes the pair ninth cousins once removed.

'People have always drawn parallels between Sydney Sweeney and Marilyn Monroe, but seeing their paths align on a deeper level inspired us to look for a real bond,' MyHeritage research director Roi Mandel said in a statement. He called it a reminder that 'humanity is one vast family tree'.

The firm has turned famous family trees into publicity before, previously reporting that 'Friends' co-stars Matthew Perry and Courteney Cox were distant cousins.

The Monroe Image Was Already a Brand

Sweeney, 29, has leaned on Monroe's bombshell image for more than a year. In 2025, she recreated the plunging gown Monroe wore on the cover of Life magazine in 1952, and she has worn vintage, Old Hollywood styling on repeated red carpets.

Her American Eagle denim campaign in July 2025 built an entire tagline around the word 'genes', telling viewers that 'genes are passed down from parents to offspring' before the pun landed on 'great jeans'.

Critics accused the brand of flirting with eugenics messaging in a row that drew political attention. The genealogy discovery now gives the 'great genes' pun another obvious marketing angle.

A $2 Billion Ad and an Equity Stake

Sweeney's most recent turn as a modern Monroe came in September, when she stripped down for Novig, a federally regulated sports prediction market that admits only users aged 21 and over.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission granted the platform contract market status in June, and it launched nationally in August. The Wall Street Journal reported that the firm then raised money at a $2 billion valuation, four times the $500 million (£373 million) it was worth in February.

Sweeney is not a paid face but an equity partner who took a stake instead of a cash fee. Her holding is undisclosed, though Casino.org estimated that even half of 1% would be worth $10 million (£7.5 million). Her net worth is put at $40 million to $50 million (£30 million to £37 million).

Four-time Olympic swimming champion Ariarne Titmus called it 'a kick in the face to every woman who has dedicated her life to perfecting her craft'. Boxer Skye Nicolson argued there is a difference between looking sexy because you play sport and using sex to sell it.

Why the Timing Pays Off

Each strand feeds the same machine. A genes pun, vintage Monroe gowns, a nude betting advert, and now a genealogy 'discovery' all sharpen one brand.

Novig said its trading volume rose nearly 94% across the 20 days before and after the campaign, although the period also overlapped with the start of the NFL season.

The Monroe link adds another layer to the Sweeney brand but doesn't prove a direct commercial payoff.