who was adeline watkins in real life

Adeline Watkins was a real person who lived in Plainfield, Wisconsin, and was publicly known primarily for her claimed connection to the notorious serial killer Ed Gein. Shortly after Gein's arrest in 1957, Watkins initially stated in multiple interviews that she had a long-term, approximately 20-year romantic relationship with Gein, describing him as kind, good, and sweet. She recounted dating him, sharing a love of reading, discussing murders in the news, and even alleged that Gein proposed to her in 1955, which she declined due to feeling inadequate. However, soon after these claims gained widespread media attention, Watkins retracted much of her story. She clarified that their relationship was not a two-decade romance but instead a brief, casual dating period lasting about seven months, and described their interaction as more platonic friendship than romantic involvement. Watkins maintained that Gein was quiet and polite, but denied many of the embellishments initially reported. After these events, she lived a quiet life away from the public eye and passed away in 2003 at the age of 81. There is no evidence she was involved in Gein's crimes or that her life after these events was dramatic or connected to his legacy beyond the media period following his arrest.