Ed Gein's alleged girlfriend was Adeline Watkins. She claimed to have had a romantic relationship with Gein for about 20 years and even said that he proposed to her, though she declined. However, much of this portrayal is disputed. Watkins later stated that their relationship was exaggerated by the media and that they only interacted regularly for about seven months intermittently after 1954. She also said she had never been inside his house and downplayed the closeness of their relationship. Therefore, while Adeline Watkins was a real acquaintance of Ed Gein and they had some form of bond, the extent of their romantic involvement remains uncertain and is likely overstated in popular portrayals.