Netflix’s ‘House of Guinness’ Might Be More Fiction Than Fact, per Actual Family Member Molly Guinness

Viewers of the new Netflix series, House of Guinness, which bills itself as “fiction inspired by a true story,” will be fully invested in the Succession-esque drama of it all—but, according to one real-life Guinness family member, the story of the famed Irish brewery has been more than a little manipulated. Ditto, some of the key characteristics of the main cast of characters.

Writing for The Times, Molly Guinness, the great-great-great-granddaughter of Sir Benjamin Guinness (the third son of Arthur Guinness, who founded the brewery in 1759, and who took control nearly a century later, tripling sales), points out a ton of inaccuracies that she noticed while watching the show.

Describing how she tuned in with her cousin, Sachin, who she says has a better grasp on their family history, Molly reveals he exclaimed: “Are we supposed to believe that Edward Cecil Guinness is the taller one without a moustache? He didn't look anything like that.”

Molly also says that while Arthur's gay exploits are good for humorous moments, they are very much “invented.”

Elsewhere, the Guinness descendant takes aim at the show's writer for having turned “my great-great-grandfather Edward and his brother Arthur [...] into knaves and fools. In fact, all the characters come straight from a bingo card of modern clichés about rich people.” In reality, she says, the family was actually pretty nice, charitable, and sure, eccentric in their own way, but all round good eggs.

Molly is also quick to point out that while House of Guinness portrays Benjamin as a man who allowed his tenants to starve to death and was somewhat of a let down as a father, in reality, he was “a loving father and a great philanthropist.”

Lady Mary Charteris, Daphne Guinness, Lord Edward Guinness, 4th Earl of Iveagh,, Ivana Lowell, Jasmine Guinness and Celeste Guinness attend the House of Guinness premiere in London on 23 September 2025

The character of Anne (the only daughter of Sir Benjamin Guinness) has also taken a bit of a knock, she concludes. Rather than having a secret lover on the side, the real Anne was probably more interested in coordinating Bible reading groups.

However, Molly admits, one thing House of Guinness does get right is the family's ability to throw a party—although perhaps not ones with instructions given to maids to “clean around” any couples caught in a compromising position.

So, basically take the show with an enormous pinch of salt then?