Who is Valentine Michael Manson?
Valentine Michael Manson was born on 15 April 1968, in Los Angeles, California, USA, and is best known for being the son of cult leader Charles Manson, who was responsible for running the Manson family. The group would be responsible for a string of murders leading to the arrest of many of its members, including his mother, Mary Brunner.
The Wealth of Valentine Michael Manson
As of early-2020, Valentine Michael Manson’s net worth is estimated to be over $100,000, earned through success in his various endeavors. He has spent most of his life moving away from the spotlight, and his father’s notoriety, even adopting his mother’s. No details are known about his career.
Valentine’s Parents – The Manson Family
Valentine’s father Charles Manson was a criminal for most of his life, initially often imprisoned for petty crimes. In 1967, he moved to San Francisco, California shortly after his release from prison, and unable to find a job, he began begging. During this time he met library assistant Mary Brunner, Valentine’s mother, and his charm won her over. The two would soon start living together.
After some time, Charles convinced Mary that they should invite other people to their home, and would drive around California inviting mostly young women who were charmed by the prospect of the hippie lifestyle and communal living.
The group traveled across the US Southwest, and eventually she became pregnant – due to Charles’s dislike of any of his “family” members going to hospitals, Valentine was born while the family was staying in a decrepit house in Topanga Canyon. Just a few weeks old, the police found his mother and a group of naked ‘family members’ lying in a ditch inside a bus; all of them were arrested but later released. Valentine was also found there in poor conditions, and the police took him away, charging his mother for contribution to the delinquency of a minor.
The Manson Family Murders
Following the initial arrests, Valentine’s grandparents grew increasingly concerned that this family was heading into something far worse. Charles started believing himself as a reincarnation of Christ, spouting numerous beliefs and teachings that were based upon himself. Many of his followers swallowed his charm, as he was very skilled at manipulating people, often using sex as a way to recruit or gain favors.
Valentine was adopted by his grandparents following his mother’s arrest, and they gave him the name Michael Brunner to lose his association with his father.
Later on, some of the members of the Manson family murdered music teacher Hinman for reportedly refusing to join the family, and give them access to his resources. While recounts are vague, Manson was reportedly behind the entire ordeal, and later used his wit to try and cover up his family’s actions. Soon, more murders would occur, culminating in the killing of the pregnant actress Sharon Tate, and following Charles’ capture by the police, the family went on a crime spree along with protests, to try and free him, or at the very least remove the death sentence. His mother was sentenced to life in prison following her involvement in a shootout in Hawthorne, California when they were captured.
The Aftermath of the Murders
Valentine Michael was far from his parents when the murders occurred, and was sheltered by his grandparents. He grew up in a much better environment, raised by his grandparents whom he would consider as his parents due to the love he was shown. His mother, while sentenced to life, was later released on parole in the late 1970s thanks to good behavior.
After her release, she faded from the public view, and not much is known about her, although she reconnected with her child, with a rare interview with Valentine declaring his relationship with his mother, as something akin to siblings.
He couldn’t avoid people eventually finding out the identity of his father, which led to a lot of bullying. He even received threats from time to time which were promptly handled by the authorities. At some point, he realized, that he would never be free from the influence of his parents’ actions.
A Final Appearance
Nearing the 1990s, Valentine remained the only living son of Charles, who had two older children, both born from Manson family members as well. The eldest Charles Jr., reportedly committed suicide while on a vacation trip. Throughout his life, he could not fathom and move away from the actions that his father committed, especially since he carried his father’s name.
Charles’ second son faded from public attention and nothing is known about him. However, records show that he possibly passed away sometime in his adulthood.
As an adult, Valentine knew that he would never be too far from his father’s legacy, so he approached the media to clear the air. In one of his last interviews and public appearances, he declared that his grandparents were his real parents. He adopted a different name and refused to be associated with Charles Manson in any way, destroying any letters that Charles sent him from prison, but apparently remains close to his mother.
Personal Life
Since then, very little has been heard about his life.
It’s known that Valentine Michael married and he has children though due to his lack of any public appearance, details about them are unknown, except that he realized how important it is to stay as a family and take care of a child.
In 2017, Charles Manson passed away from complications brought about by colon cancer. Following his death, at least three people came forward declaring that they had a copy of his last will. Valentine did not participate in these events, having no interest in anything that has to do with his biological father. The three people who contested for his body and estate were all connected to Charles in some manner. The case was eventually won by Charles’ grandson, Jason Freeman who is the son of his eldest, Charles Jr.