Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

New Photos Show Damage To Iconic Marilyn Monroe Dress Kim Kardashian Wore To Met Gala

New Photos Show Damage To Iconic Marilyn Monroe Dress Kim Kardashian Wore To Met Gala
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic/Getty Images

When Kim Kardashian wore the iconic gown once worn by Marilyn Monroe to serenade President John F Kennedy to the Met Gala last month, people were surprised.

On one hand, there’s no denying she looked amazing, but on the other hand, shouldn’t more care be taken with that dress?


Bob Mackie—the legendary costume designer who sketched the gown in 1962 for the dress' designer Jean Louis—said "no" to that question.

Mackie said of Kardashian borrowing the iconic ensemble:

"I thought it was a big mistake. [Marilyn] was a goddess. A crazy goddess, but a goddess. She was just fabulous."
"Nobody photographs like that. And it was done for her. It was designed for her."
"Nobody else should be seen in that dress."

That wisdom of the decision to loan Kardashian the gown is being questioned even more, now that a memorabilia expert alleged Kardashian’s romp in the dress has done extensive damage to it.

This was revealed in a series of Instagram Photos posted by The Marilyn Monroe Collection.

The images in the above Instagram post purport to show damage done to the dress.

The newer photos show more beading had fallen off since the gown was acquired in 2016, with some jewels now hanging by a thread as well as damage to one of the straps.

Obvious tearing in the "silk souffle" fabric near the zipper and clasp enclosures is also visible. The tears are considered unrepairable as the specialty French-made silk weave fabric from 60 years ago is no longer produced—it was specifically banned in the United States because it is highly flammable.

The older photos show how the Jean Louis one of a kind gown looked before the Met Gala.

While Kardashian made a splash when she wore the same gown Monroe wore to sing "Happy Birthday" to JFK for his 45th birthday at Madison Square Garden in 1962, some are left confused.

Why would Kardashian be allowed to wear this 60-year-old silk gown and possibly ruin it?

Kardashian had reportedly put a lot of effort into preparing to wear the gown. She went on a crash diet to lose 16 pounds, but even then the dress barely zipped.

She reportedly told a friend:

“It was like a role. I was determined to do it.”

According to Ripley’s Believe It Or Not!—the company that owns the dress—Kardashian had only worn the gown for the red carpet reveal then changed into a replica for the rest of the night.

Ripley’s also insisted “great care was taken” to preserve the dress, despite allowing the reality star to wear it to the Met Gala. Since then, the company has not commented on possible damage to the dress.

The whole situation got a lot of people thinking about the cultural importance of such an item.

While there’s clearly damage in the photos after the dress was worn to the Met Gala, it’s difficult to say how much was actually done from that specific act.

The “pre-Met Gala” photo used in the Instagram post has been accused of being edited and touched up. Only the 2016 auction listing photos from when the dress was purchased can be authenticated.

Since then there has been obvious damage from wear and tear.

More from Entertainment/tv-and-movies

Sir Michael Caine
Mike Marsland/WireImage

Michael Caine Cryptically Tweeted The Word 'Jet'—And The Jokes Came Flying In

Legendary Oscar winner Sir Michael Caine may be 92 years old, but he's no less a social media maven than the young people among us. In fact, he might even be better at it than the youths!

What makes him so good at the social media game is the way he gets right to the point with as few words as possible.

Keep ReadingShow less
Mike Malott and Charles Radtke during UFC match
Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

U.S. UFC Star Threatens Canada For Booing Anthem—Then Gets His A** Handed To Him

UFC fighter Charles Radtke was widely mocked online after talking trash about Canada before his bout with Canadian fighter Mike Malott—only to be soundly defeated by Malott in the second round.

Radtke leaned into the role of the villain leading up to the fight, invoking President Donald Trump’s talk of annexing Canada as the “51st state” and saying he was seeking revenge for Canadian hockey fans recently booing the U.S. national anthem.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Brian Jack talking to high school students
@patriottakes/X

High School Group Asks MAGA Rep. Why Trump Looks 'So Orange'—And His Answer Is Awkward AF

Things sure got awkward for Georgia Republican Representative Brian Jack after a group of students asked him during a Q&A session why President Donald Trump is "so orange."

People can only speculate what brand of makeup or bronzer Trump uses on a daily basis but there's a reason why he's been nicknamed "the orange man," "Agent Orange," and even "Mango Mussolini"—the color of his face is really, really hard to miss given he's photographed all the time.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sean Duffy
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Transportation Secretary Slammed After Admitting He Made A Telling Switch To Wife's Recent Flight

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy was criticized after admitting in a recent audio clip that he'd just switched his wife's Newark Liberty International Airport flight to one out of LaGuardia Airport—despite previously claiming his family flies out of Newark Airport "all the time."

Duffy’s remarks came as staffing shortages caused major flight disruptions at Newark on Monday, with the F.A.A. forced to delay incoming flights from across the continental U.S. and parts of Canada. According to an online advisory, delays averaged over 1 hour and 40 minutes and in some cases stretched to nearly seven hours.

Keep ReadingShow less
tourists on stairs leading to cathedral
Ilnur Kalimullin on Unsplash

People Share The Things They Consider 'Normal' In Their Country That Would Shock Tourists

What's normal but a setting on the clothes dryer?

What we label "normal" would often be best described as "common." Normal is defined as "conforming to a standard" or "the usual, average, or typical state or condition."

Keep ReadingShow less