LOS ANGELES – The name Jay Sebring is often reduced to a footnote in the Manson murders—and exploited by the true crime cottage industry—but one that ended in blood and speculation. What the headlines never captured, however, was who Jay really was: a revolutionary hairstylist, a self-made cultural icon, and the architect of the modern men’s hair fashion industry.
Jay Sebring… Cutting to the Truth is the first comprehensive biography of Sebring’s life, based on exclusive access to family archives, collaborators, investigators, and never-before-released documents. Written by journalist Marshall Terrill (Steve McQueen: The Life and Legend of a Hollywood Icon) and Sebring’s nephew Anthony DiMaria, the book unearths a gripping true story of ambition, glamour, reinvention—and how it was all overshadowed by one night in August 1969.
“After his murder, Jay’s reputation was defenseless as he lay butchered in his grave,” DiMaria says. “They didn’t write any of that when he was alive. This book sets the record straight.”
More Than Just a Crime Victim
This is a story about:
- Cultural memory and media distortion
- The roots of the global $100B men’s grooming industry
- The birth of Hollywood celebrity styling—and the cost of fame
While Manson’s name still dominates headlines, Cutting to the Truth reclaims the humanity behind the horror. It tells the story of Jay Sebring, a man who designed the signature looks of Steve McQueen and Jim Morrison—before his own image was lost to tabloid caricature.
Why This Story Matters Now
True crime audiences are no longer content with shock value. They want understanding from the victim’s perspective, justice, human dimension, and truth. Sebring’s story offers a rare look at how fame, media, and murder intersected in a way that still shapes public narratives today.
“If you only know Sebring as a Manson victim, you don’t know a sniff of the truth,” decries Anthony DiMaria.
The 2020 documentary Jay Sebring… Cutting to the Truth peeled back the Hollywood gloss to expose what the tabloids never cared to: Jay Sebring wasn’t just a name on a police report—he was a pioneer, a powerhouse, and a victim whose story was buried under a pile of blood-soaked headlines. The book goes even deeper, drawing on forensic revelations, insider accounts, and raw archival evidence to reframe the narrative. For true crime fans who want more than recycled Manson mythology, this is where the real story begins.
BOOK DETAILS
Jay Sebring… Cutting to the Truth
By Marshall Terrill & Anthony DiMaria
ISBN: 978-1-958727-76-8 (Paperback)
Available Now from Genius Book Publishing
https://geniusbookpublishing.com/products/jay-sebring-cutting-to-the-truth
Press inquiries, interviews, and advance excerpts available.
Media Contact
Company Name: Genius Book Publishing
Contact Person: Steven Booth
Country: United States
Website: https://geniusbookpublishing.com/
