Top 10 Dark Truths About Marilyn Monroe
#10: She Was Fired From Her Last Film
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In April 1962, production began on George Cukor’s “Something’s Got to Give” starring Dean Martin and Marilyn Monroe. However, the actress missed the first day and many others due to a chronic sinus infection and a slew of flu-like symptoms. Walter Bernstein’s script was being rewritten, and they were behind schedule and over budget, which led some of the crew and higher-ups to put blame on the production’s lead actress’. Monroe’s last day on set was on June 1st, her 36th birthday. After calling in sick days later, she was fired for “spectacular absenteeism” and sued for damages in a $750,000 lawsuit. But after Dean Martin refused to do the film without her, she was rehired. Production was set to begin in October. Sadly, Monroe died in August.
#9: She Got Married at 16
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In January 1942, Norma Jeane Mortenson began dating 20-year-old James Dougherty. By then, her living situation had changed very often. When she wasn’t at an orphanage, she stayed with family friends, or foster families. In her teen years, she stayed with Grace Goddard, a friend of her mom’s, who became her legal guardian in 1936. But when the Goddards planned to move to West Virginia, Norma couldn’t go with them. To avoid going back into foster care, she married James on June 19, 1942, shortly after she turned 16. Though not the most romantic of circumstances, the young couple were seemingly in love. At least at the beginning. By 1946, life had taken them in different directions and the couple called it quits.
#8: Her Looks Overshadowed Her Intellect
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Marilyn Monroe was and is still considered one of the most beautiful women in the world. And while that certainly helped her in Hollywood, it also hindered her options and control. The industry didn’t view her as a serious actress let alone an intelligent person. But Monroe was a voracious reader, reportedly owning more than 400 books in her personal library. She also loved writing and studying her craft. In 1955, she added businesswoman to her attributes when she established her own company, Marilyn Monroe Productions. Twentieth Century Fox sued the actress for allegedly breaching her contract. She ultimately won the legal battle and gained more agency over her roles and production elements, not to mention a higher salary of $100,000.
#7: Tumultuous Marriages (& High-Profile Divorces)
Monroe and retired New York Yankees baseball star Joe DiMaggio eloped on January 14, 1954. Their 9-month marriage was troubled due to his jealousy and alleged abuse, as well as her increasing popularity, especially after her infamous subway-grate scene. However, they stayed friends. Monroe briefly took a break from Hollywood after she married playwright Arthur Miller in June 1956. Despite gushing about their love for each other in the press, the marriage didn’t last. Monroe was heartbroken after she found a note written by her husband stating he was embarrassed and disappointed with her. Their relationship was rocky before and during filming “The Misfits” in 1961, Miller’s screenplay which was not-so-subtlety about Monroe. They divorced before it premiered that year.
#6: She Spent Her Childhood in Foster Care
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On June 1, 1926, Gladys Pearl Baker gave birth to her third child, Norma Jeane, in Los Angeles, California. From as young as two weeks old, Norma was in and out of foster care and orphanages, briefly living with her mother on occasion until Gladys was admitted to a psychiatric hospital. Norma had a photo of the man Gladys said was her father but never met him, not even as Marilyn Monroe. In 2022, analysts used her hair for DNA testing and identified her father as Charles Stanley Gifford, a man Gladys had an affair with when she was a film cutter for RKO.
#5: Her Battle with Mental Health
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Marilyn Monroe was subjected to multiple instances of sexual abuse throughout her years as a ward of the state, causing her to develop a stutter at a young age that made her insecure. She carried that trauma throughout her life and suffered crippling anxiety, insomnia, depression, and a substance misuse disorder that ultimately led to her death. Monroe also struggled with intense stage fright. The actress earned a reputation for being difficult to work with on and off camera, reportedly displaying erratic behavior, often forgetting her lines, and showing up late or not at all. 1961 was a particularly exhausting year for Monroe as she was hospitalized for depression and ailed by physical health problems.
#4: Her Struggles with Childbearing
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Marilyn Monroe desperately wanted to have children. But, after she married Arthur Miller in 1956, she reportedly suffered three miscarriages in three years. The first was a few months after they wed that year. She lost an ectopic pregnancy in 1957, the year she filmed “The Prince and the Showgirl.” In December 1958, she had another miscarriage after making “Some Like It Hot.” Monroe’s struggles with infertility have been attributed to her suffering from debilitating endometriosis, a painful gynecological condition in which tissue develops outside the uterus in areas such as the ovaries. While Monroe underwent treatment, possibly more than one surgery, endometriosis was and still is incurable.
#3: Relationship(s) with the Kennedys
While Ms. Monroe had relationships with high-profile celebrities like Marlon Brando and Frank Sinatra, the most scandalous is her alleged affair with President John F. Kennedy. Rumors only increased after she famously sang “Happy Birthday Mr. President” at his New York birthday celebration on May 19, 1962. Monroe allegedly got involved with his brother Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, with close friends stating that she openly talked about her love for Bobby. Multiple people believe the young Kennedy visited her shortly before her death and was the last person to see the star alive. More on that soon.
#2: The FBI Suspected Monroe of Communism
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The FBI began closely monitoring Marilyn Monroe in 1955 when she began dating Arthur Miller, who was being investigated for ties to the Communist Party. They noted her interactions with known members as well as her own progressive political views. Monroe also publicly backed up her husband. And though he admitted that he supported some Communist protests and causes in the 1940s, Miller continued to deny being an actual member. Even though he and Monroe split by 1961, the FBI maintained their file on her which they’d add to when she became involved with the Kennedys.
#1: The Mystery Surrounding Her Death
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On August 5, 1962, 36-year-old Marilyn Monroe was found deceased in bed at her home in Brentwood, California. Her cause of death was the ingestion of a fatal amount of prescription barbiturates. Decades later, it’s still debated whether this was an accidental overdose or an intentional choice to end her life. Some have gone as far as to theorize that she was murdered and it was covered up by the CIA or FBI. Author Anthony Summers investigated the popular conspiracy theory that her demise can be connected to the Kennedys, alleging that Robert was indeed in her home the night she died.
