FAQ

Norma Jeane’s biological parents were Gladys Pearl Baker and Charles Stanley Gifford (as proven by DNA testing in 2022)

No. Marilyn’s mother, Gladys, was born and raised in Mexico for one year. She did not have Mexican family, DNA or traditional values. Her mother would technically be classed as a Mexican national.

No, Marilyn’s mother, Gladys, outlived her.

Due to Gladys being in and out of care facilities whilst Norma Jeane grew up, she had to go into foster homes and an orphanage.

When she became famous, Marilyn said she was an orphan to be sure the press would leave her mother alone. Inez Melson would visit Gladys at the hospital and care for her until she died.

“You wouldn’t exactly say I had a normal childhood, could you? They say you soon forget the bad things in your life. Maybe for others, but not for me. I guess I was about years old – I was living in this foster home that took in boarders besides me. I remember there was this old man they would cater to. He was the star boarder. Well, one day when I was upstairs on the first floor where his room was, I was putting some towels in the hall closet. His door was open; he saw me and called me, motioned for me to come into his room. I went in, and immediately he bolted the door. He asked me to sit on his lap. Frightened, I obeyed. He kissed me and started doing other things to me. He put his hand under my dress. He said it’s only a game. He let me go when his game was over. He touched me in places no one had ever before. When he unlocked the door and let me out, I ran to my foster mother and crying, told her what he had done to me. “He touched me all over,” I sobbed with tears running down my face. She looked at me, shocked at what I had told her. She slapped me across the mouth and shook me, shouting, “I don’t believe you. Don’t you dare say such nasty things about this nice man.” I was so hurt I began to stammer. She didn’t believe me. I cried all that night in my bed. I just wanted to die. This was the first time I remember ever stammering. A shocking experience like that can cause almost anything to happen.”

Marilyn to George Barris, 1962

Marilyn was assaulted sexually by a lodger at one of the homes she lived in (Mr Kimmel), her foster father Doc Goddard and some biographers claim by her cousin, Jack all before she was 13 years old.

The only known and officially documented cases of pregnancy are from 1957 and 1958 whilst she was married to Arthur Miller. 

In the summer of 1957, Marilyn suffered from an ectopic pregnancy. An emergency termination was performed in order to save Marilyn’s life. In 1958, Marilyn was pregnant and had a miscarriage at around 3 months. 

In 1959 she was told it may be impossible for her to carry a baby full term.

“And the rumours of her multiple abortions are ridiculous. She never had even one. Later there were two miscarriages and an ectopic pregnancy requiring emergency termination [of a pregnancy] but no abortion.” – Dr Leon Krohn, Marilyn’s doctor.

The two miscarriages may refer to the rumoured miscarriage whilst in England in 1956 (although this was never officially confirmed) and a miscarriage that occurred in 1958 during the filming of Some Like It Hot.

There is no evidence to suggest the sex tape credited as featuring Marilyn Monroe has the actress performing sex acts on film. 

According to photographer Andre De Dienes, they did have an affair when she was married to Jim Dougherty, despite her claims she was faithful to him. A letter sold at auction showed De Dienes was telling the truth.

Marilyn was agent Johnny Hyde’s mistress until his death, Elia Kazan’s mistress for a short time and Arthur Miller’s mistress from 1955 until his divorce from Mary Slattery.

Marilyn had an affair with co-star Yves Montand during the making of Let’s Make Love in 1959. She is also likely to have had a one-night stand with President John F Kennedy in 1962, a year after her divorce from Miller.

Robert Slatzer met Marilyn in 1952 whilst she was filming Niagara. They had a couple of photos together and since then he made many false accusations and claims, even during Marily’s life.

The first claim is that he and Marilyn were lovers whilst she was dating Joe DiMaggio. He later stated he married Marilyn on 4th October 1952 in Mexico. He said they had the wedding certificate burnt as the studio didn’t want them to get married. However, on the date that he states they travelled (3 October), Marilyn is photographed at the Photoplay Awards in Los Angeles. There is also a cheque made out to Jax in Beverly Hills on the 4th of October 1952. 

He additionally states they were very close until she died and he had seen a red diary containing government secrets.

However, there are no photos other than those in 1952 or letters, phone records or any documentation of him being in Marilyn’s life.

Biographies such as the one by Anthony Summers and claims by Marilyn’s make-up artist Allan “Whitey” Snyder have created the illusion that Slatzer is a reliable source. 

While filming scenes at Niagara Falls, [Monroe] was asked by a twenty-five-year-old visitor from Ohio named Robert Slatzer to pose with him for snapshots. For such impromptu photos and importuned autographs, no public figure was ever more generous and cooperative with admirers and strangers than Marilyn, nor was any more exploited before or since her death…In 1972, with Marilyn conveniently unable to contradict him, Slatzer approached journalist Will Fowler with a short, incomplete article in which Slatzer speculated that Marilyn Monroe’s death was part of a political conspiracy… “Too bad you weren’t married to Monroe,” Fowler said, unimpressed with Slatzer’s proposal. “That would really make a great book.” Soon after, Slatzer contacted Fowler again, saying he had forgot to mention that he had indeed been married to Marilyn. “Slatzer made a career of being a pretender,” according to Fowler, “selling gullible talk show producers who don’t do their research very well with the deception that he was married to Marilyn. He was never married to her. He met the star only once, in Niagara Falls… He never met Marilyn before or since.”… Among the most persistent but injudicious of his assertions is his absurd claim that he spent the weekend of October 3 to 6, 1952, with Marilyn Monroe in Tijuana, Mexico, where they were married on October 4… Quite apart from the fact that Marilyn was in Los Angeles that entire weekend, Slatzer could never produce a written record of the union or its dissolution.

Donald Spoto, The Biography

“Over the years, the number of men who claimed to have slept with Marilyn grew to preposterous proportions. She would have had no time to work, eat or sleep if all the tales were true.” – Jenna Glatzer.

The most likely sexual relationships Marilyn had:

• James Dougherty
• Andre De Dienes
• Fred Karger
• Johnny Hyde
• Elia Kazan
• Joe DiMaggio
• Arthur Miller
• Yves Montand
• John F Kennedy (one night stand at best)
• Frank Sinatra

You can read about that here

You can read this post for information about that!

No. She stated in 1953, regarding being broke and receiving a call from a man who wanted to ‘help’ her:

“He gave details of what I would be expected to do. He was brutally frank and all I could think of to say was that he shouldn’t talk that way over a public telephone. I didn’t realize how silly that sounded until I hung up and then started to laugh.”

Bill Pursel, who knew Marilyn when she was starting out said:

“Wow! I don’t believe this for one moment! As far as I know this is a bunch of poppycock. I do know there were several women jealous of her after she became Marilyn Monroe and beside call girls earn big money – I saw no evidence of this with her. I would put no credence at all in these rumours. It’s nothing but bilge…blather….hogwash…. someone’s cheap imagination. It sorta makes me angry, or can’t you tell? She wasn’t pregnant when I knew her; she she probably had several boyfriends over the years, but when these stories exaggerate the involvement into pregnancy or even intimacy they are way out of bounds. She had too much class to be so careless about who she dated. At least this is where I come from.”

This is backed up by agent Harry Lipton in an article from Motion Picture, May 1956. Marilyn had been offered gifts in exchange for sexual favours. Marilyn refused, turned to her agent and asked to leave the party. She cried on the way home asking “what can I say to men like that, Harry?”. He replied with, “You’ll learn.”

Despite being one of the better biographers, Donald Spoto’s book does mention Marilyn performing sexual acts on Joe Schenck. She said to Maurice Zolotow:

“Get this straight. Mr. Schenck and I were good friends. He gave me encouragement when I needed it. He didn’t do anything for me….I know the word around Hollywood was I was Joe Schencks’ girlfriend, but that’s a lie. The only favor I ever asked him, Mr. Schenck, was later, when I was back at Twentieth I wanted a decent dressing room, and I asked him about it, and he put in a good word for me and I got a good dressing room. I never asked him to help me get good parts at Twentieth, and he didn’t. He knew how I felt about it , that I wanted to succeed on my talent, not any other way, and he respected my feelings.“

“I was determined, no one was going to use me or my body—even if he could help my career. I’ve never gone out with a man I didn’t want to. No one, not even the studio, could force me to date someone. The one thing I hate more than anything else is being used. I’ve always worked hard for the sake of someday becoming a talented actress. I knew I would make it someday if I only kept at it and worked hard without lowering my principles and pride in myself.”

My Story

“These wolves just could not understand me. They would tell me, ‘But Marilyn, you’re not playing the game the way you should. Be smart. You’ll never get anywhere in this business acting the way you do.’ My answer to them would be, ‘The only acting I’ll do is for the camera.’ I was determined, no one was going to use me or my body—even if he could help my career. I’ve never gone out with a man I didn’t want to. No one, not even the studio, could force me to date someone. The one thing I hate more than anything else is being used. I’ve always worked hard for the sake of someday becoming a talented actress. I knew I would make it someday if I only kept at it and worked hard without lowering my principles and pride in myself.”

My Story

“A man who kissed me once had said it was very possible I was a lesbian because I apparently had no response to males – meaning him. I didn’t contradict him because I didn’t know what I was. There were times even when I didn’t feel human and times when all I could think of was dying. There was also the sinister fact that a well-made woman had always thrilled me to look at. 

Now having fallen in love, I knew what I was. It wasn’t a lesbian. The world and its excitement over sex didn’t seem crazy. In fact, it didn’t seem crazy enough.”

My Story

Read here

Marilyn’s acting coach, Lee Strasberg, believed that to be a great actress Marilyn would need to delve into her subconscious and the best way to obtain this would be to see a psychoanalyst.

“As for the actor’s training, I would say that the essential element is to train the inner faculties of the artist.”

Her first analyst, Dr Margaret Hohenburg, was recommended to her by her friend, photographer and business partner Milton Greene.  

After the break up of Marilyn and Milton’s friendship in 1957, Marilyn began to see Dr Marianne Kris.

After she was wrongfully institutionalized at Payne Whitney in 1961 on the orders of Dr Kris, Marilyn began seeing Dr Ralph Greenson, whom she came to rely on immensely.

Nembutal and chloral hydrate were in Marilyn’s blood when she passed away.

She also was prescribed the following medications in 1962.

• Chloral Hydrate (100): A sedative used as an anaesthetic and sleep aid 
• Librium (200): Used to treat anxiety and insomnia.
• Valmid (100): Sedative/hypnotic used for insomnia.
• Percodan (24): Pain reliever that is a combination of aspirin and oxycodone 
• Lomotil (24): Diarrhoea medication
• Dexedrine (12): Amphetamine, stimulant
• Seconal (25): An anaesthetic and sedative
• Tuinal (25): Composed of two barbiturate salts (secobarbital sodium and amobarbital sodium) in equal proportions. Sedative for sleep
• Hydrozets (24): Throat lozenges 
• Sulfa Gum: Used for sore throat s
• Darvon (24): An opioid used for pain relief, no longer available.
• Sulfathallidine (36): Antibiotic
• Nembutal (25): Sedative
• Phenergan (25): Sedative/sleep aid
• Sombulex (100): Sedative

There is no evidence to suggest this although the is a video of Marilyn smoking what appears to be marijuana.

According to Amy Greene, a friend of Marilyn’s and wife to photographer Milton Greene, Marilyn had always had trouble sleeping (Marilyn had also said in My Story that she was given sleeping pills to help her sleep when she had a terrible cold in the 1940s).

However, according to Amy, the true addiction came when she married Arthur Miller in 1956 as he had made her feel inadequate.

Not long after their wedding, Marilyn found his notebook containing derogatory things about her, making her insecure about herself. 

No. There are many images of Marilyn’s feet which show 5 toes on each foot.

Marilyn was 5ft 6. Her weight and measurements changed throughout her life. You can read about it here. 

7AA US, 38/39 Euro, 5/5.5 UK

Marilyn had a small flesh-coloured mole, which she often coloured in.

The only confirmed cosmetic surgery is Marilyn’s chin implant which had dissolved by 1958.

It’s believed Marilyn MAY have had a small amount of cartilage removed from her nose, but there is no evidence of this. Photos show that lighting has a large part to play in how Marilyn’s nose looks.

It is suggested that she also had her teeth perfected despite her modelling documentation stating her teeth were already “perfect.” There are no documents to suggest she had ever had dental surgery.

There is also no record of Marilyn ever having electrolysis.

Marilyn appeared in 29 movies.

• First contract with Fox, 1946, $75 per week
• Fox contract renewal, 1947, $150 per week
• Columbia contract, 1948, $125 per week
• Tom Kelley / Nude calendar, 1949, $50
• Promoting “Love Happy,” 1949, $100 per week
• For “The Asphalt Jungle, ” 1950, $350 per week. $1050 total
• Second Fox contract, 1951, $500 per week with semiannual increase up to $1500
• For “Clash by Night,” 1952, $500 per week
• For “We’re Not Married, ” 1952, $750 per week
• For “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,” 1953, $1250 per week
• For “River of No Return, There’s No Business Like Show Business, and The Seven Year Itch,” 1954 – 1955, $1500 per week
• New Fox contract, 1956, $100,000 fee plus $500 per week expenses
• For “Some Like It Hot,” 1959, $100,000 fee plus 10% of the profits
• For “The Misfits,” 1961, $300,000 fee plus 10% of the profits
• For “Something’s Got To Give,” 1962, $100,000 fee if she had finished it

Marilyn suffered from extreme anxiety ever since she was young (it is stated in a report from her school and orphanage) and therefore found it difficult to come to set on time which caused many frustrations with her colleagues.

She also was addicted to her prescribed medication (to help her anxiety, depression and insomnia) which would often lead her to feel groggy and unable to work. 

Marilyn was also prone to sinus issues and viral infections meaning she needed to take time off work. 

Marilyn also admitted she liked being waited on.

“I have many bad social habits. People are always lecturing me about them. I am invariably late for appointments—sometimes as much as two hours. I’ve tried to change my ways but the things that make me late are too strong—and too pleasing…I’m giving Norma Jean[sic] a treat… People are waiting for me. People are eager to see me. I’m wanted. And I remember the years I was unwanted.”

My Story

• 5454 Wilshire Blvd Los Angeles, CA 1926
• 459 E Rhode Island St Hawthorne, CA 1926-32 Los Angeles Orphans Home 815
• N El Centro Ave Hollywood, CA 1935-37
• 6707 Odessa Ave Van Nuys, CA 1937
• 14743 Archwoods St Van Nuys, CA 1937
• 6707 Odessa Ave Van Nuys, CA 1938
• 11348 Nebraska Ave. Sawtelle, CA 1938-41
• 6707 Odessa Ave. Van Nuys, CA 1941-42
• 11348 Nebraska Ave. Sawtelle, CA 1942
• 4524 Vista Del Monte St. Sherman Oaks, CA 1942
• 14747 Archwood St. Van Nuys, CA 1943
• 11348 Nebraska Ave. Sawtelle, CA 1945-46
• Studio Club 1215 N Lodi St Hollywood, CA 1946-47
• 131 South Avon St. Burbank, CA 1947
• El Palaccio Apts. 8491-8499 Fountain Ave West Hollywood, CA1947-48
• Bel Air Hotel 701 Stone Canyon Rd Beverly Hills, CA 1948
• Beverly Carlton Hotel 9400 W Olympic Blvd Beverly Hills, CA 1948
• Studio Club 1215 N Lodi St Hollywood, CA 1948-49
• 141 South Carolwood Dr. Holmby Hills, CA 1949
• 718 North Palm Dr. Beverly Hills, CA 1950
• 1309 Harper Ave. West Hollywood, CA 1950-51
• Beverly Carlton Hotel 9400 W Olympic Blvd Beverly Hills, CA 1951
• 3539 Kelton Way West Los Angeles, CA 1951
• 611 North Crescent Dr. Beverly Hills, CA 1951-52
• 1121 HilIdale Ave. West Hollywood, CA 1952
• Beverly Carlton Hotel 9400 W Olympic Blvd Beverly Hills, CA 1952
• Bel Air Hotel 701 Stone Canyon Rd Beverly Hills, CA 1952
• Outpost Estates 2393 Castilian Dr Hollywood Hills, CA 1952
• Beverly Hills Hotel 9641 W Sunset Blvd Beverly Hills, CA 1952-53
• 882 North Doheny Dr Beverly Hills, CA 1953-54
• 2150 Beach St San Francisco, CA 1954
• 508 North Palm Dr Beverly Hills, CA 1954
• 8336 Delongpre Ave Hollywood, CA 1954
• Voltaire Apartments 1424 N Crescent Heights West Hollywood, CA 1954
• The Milton Greene Home Fanton Hill Rd Weston, CT 1954-55
• Waldorf Astoria Hotel 301 Park Ave New York, NY 1955
• Sutton Place Apartment 2 Sutton Pl New York, NY 1955-56
• Roxbury Farm Home Roxbury, CT 1956-1960
• Parkside House Estate Egham, England 1956
• Amagansett Retreat Amagansett, Long Island, NY 1957-58
• Fifty Seventh St. Apt. 444 E 57 St New York, NY 1957-62
• Beverly Hills Hotel 9641 W Sunset Blvd Beverly Hills, CA 1958-60
• The Mapes Hotel 30 N Virginia St Reno, NV 1960
• The Holiday Hotel 111 Mill St Reno, NV 1960
• Beverly Hills Hotel 9641 W Sunset Blvd Beverly Hills, CA 1961
• 882 North Doheny Dr Beverly Hills, CA 1961-62
• 12305 Fifth Helena Dr Brentwood, CA 1962

California:

• Clifton Motel
• Furnace Creek Inn
• Hotel Del Coronado

Los Angeles:

• Bel Air Hotel
• Beverly Carlton Hotel (now the Avalon)
• Beverly Hills Hotel
• Chateau Marmont
• Hollywood Roosevelt
• Knickerbocker Hotel
• LaFonda Motor Lodge

New York:

• Sherry Netherland Hotel – 1952
• St. Regis Hotel – 1954
• Ambassador Hotel – 1955
• Gladstone Hotel – 1955
• Waldorf-Astoria Hotel – 1955
• Lexington Hotel – 1961 

Others:

• Banff Spring Hotel, Canada 
• Cal-Neva Lodge, Lake Tahoe
• Continental Hilton Hotel, Mexico City 
• Country Inn, Nevada 
• Fontainebleau Hotel, Miami
• General Brock Hotel, Niagara Falls
• Government Lodge, Oregon
• Holiday Hotel, Reno
• Imperial Hotel, Tokyo
• Mapes Hotel, Reno
• Sahara Motor Hotel, Phoenix

LA

• Barney’s Beanery
• Bruce Wongs
• Chasen’s
• Ciro’s
• Florentine Gardens
• Formosa Cafe
• Greenblatt’s Deli
• La Scala
• Lucey’s
• Mocambo
• Musso and Frank Grill
• The Retake Room Bar
• Romanoff’s
• Schwab’s Drugstore
• Trader Vic’s
• Villa Capri
• The Villa Nova

New York

• Copacabana
• El Morocco
• Four Seasons
• Howard Johnson’s
• Jim Downey’s
• Manny Wolf’s Chophouse
• Sardi’s
• The Stork Club
• Toots Shor’s
• Twenty One Club

Other

• Bucket of Blood Saloon, Virginia City
• Christmas Tree Inn, Reno
• Club Gigi, Miami
• Country Inn Restaurant, Nevada
• DiMaggio’s, San Francisco
• Finnochio’s, San Francisco
• Hot Springs Hotel, Paso Robles
• Last Frontier, Las Vegas

Marilyn could drive .

• James Dougherty’s 1935 Ford coupe
• 1948 Ford convertible 
• 1950 Pontiac convertible Cadillac convertible (as payment for going on The Jack Benny Show)
• Joe DiMaggio’s Cadillac 
• Thunderbird sports car bought by Milton Greene
• Arthur Miller’s Jaguar
• After moving back to LA in the 60s, Marilyn used a chauffeur service as opposed to buying a car. 

Yes.

Marilyn had been at the hospital for several reasons, aside from just surgeries. She had her tonsils removed, minor cosmetic surgeries, appendix removed, gallbladder removed, and several surgeries to fight against chronic endometritis, miscarriages, ectopic pregnancy, chronic bronchitis, and exhaustion.

• Cedars of Lebanon Hospital, Los Angeles.
• Columbia University Presbyterian Medical Center, New York City.
• Doctor’s Hospital, New York City.
• Las Vegas General Hospital, Las Vegas.
• Lenox Hill Hospital, New York City.
• Los Angeles General Hospital, Los Angeles.
• Norwalk State Hospital, Norwalk.
• Payne Whitney Psychiatric Hospital, New York City.
• Polyclinic Hospital, New York City.
• Santa Monica Hospital, Santa Monica.
• St Vincent Hospital, Los Angeles.
• Westside Hospital, Los Angeles.