Did Dennis Wilson marry cousin’s daughter? What we know as niece Carnie Wilson reveals beach boys drummer gave her “butterflies”

Beach Boys drummer Dennis Wilson is known for his music and his complicated personal life. During a recent podcast appearance, his niece Carnie Wilson, daughter of Beach Boys co-founder Brian Wilson, fondly remembered her late uncle, stating how she used to get “butterflies” around him as a teenager.

Discussing her personal life on The Magnificent Others with Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan, Carnie said Dennis was a "mysterious, sexy man" who left an impact on her when she was just 15 years of age.

Even as she stated that he was family, she said she was under his spell, describing him as “very handsome” and, at the same time, “very sensitive.” Dennis died in 1983 at age 39, when Carnie was still a teenager.

"He was always like this mysterious, sexy man, and he was my uncle, but like, I’d get butterflies around him," She said.

Due to Carnie Wilson’s recent statement, people have gained interest in Dennis Wilson’s involvement with Shawn Marie Love, daughter of his cousin and fellow Beach Boy band member, Mike Love.

Dennis Wilson and Shawn Love did in fact marry each other and ended up having a son, Gage, but their relationship was fraught with problems and complications, according to reports. According to Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Shawn first spoke to Dennis when she was 16. Their relationship supposedly started with a conversation at Dennis’s Venice home.

Shawn previously told Rolling Stone in an interview about how Dennis had suggested she not disclose who her father was, given the nature of their relationship. Their marriage was already in trouble by 1981, and by the time Dennis drowned in a diving accident in 1983, divorce proceedings had been filed.

"I left partially because of me and Dennis not getting along because of personal things — jealousies and stuff," Shawn Marie Love remarked.

More about Dennis Wilson’s Tragic Death and his lasting legacy

Prior to the days before he died, Dennis Wilson had checked into and out of detox facilities but had kept drinking heavily. Dennis was on a boat called the Emerald in the Marina del Rey with friends on the day of his death. He had been jumping into the water to recover things he’d previously thrown into the water.

Unfortunately, on one of his dives around 4:25 pm, Wilson failed to come back up. Although attempts were made to find him, his body was found more than an hour later, 12 feet below the water (People Magazine).

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His body was buried at the seashore on Jan. 4, 1984, which was an unusual civilian ceremony authorized by President Ronald Reagan. After his death, the other Beach Boys expressed deep regret. Mike Love said that Dennis’s spirit will live on through their music.

Dennis Wilson’s solo career was highlighted by his hit album Pacific Ocean Blue. He was part of The Beach Boys from its inception in 1961 and had spent nearly 2 decades with the band. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.

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