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 lead cast.
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 tonne 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, 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".
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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?
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
