Debilitating mental health struggles. Devastating failed marriages.
Destructive problems with addiction. On camera, Marilyn Monroe seemed to
have it all. But the truth about the Hollywood icon is far more tragic.
Born Norma Jeane Mortenson on June 1,
1926, in California, the woman who would later be known as Marilyn Monroe was given up to a
deeply religious foster home when she was just 2 weeks old. Her biological mother was a woman by
the name of Gladys Pearl Baker, who was 26 years old when she had baby Norma. Baker claimed that
Norma's biological father was a man named Charles Stanley Gifford who worked with her at a film
processing company; he supposedly abandoned Baker when he found out she was pregnant.
Baker made an attempt to stay in contact with her daughter throughout her childhood,
arranging regular visits and sleepovers. She even once attempted to abduct baby Norma and
escape with her in a duffel bag, but the effort was successfully stopped by Norma's foster mother.
Baker was later diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic and was institutionalized in 1934.
According to the New York Post, Monroe also unfortunately suffered a series of sexual abuse
incidents as a child. Although the exact details are unknown,
she referred to one of the perpetrators as "Mr. Kimmel," who reportedly assaulted her at the age
of 8. Other assailants are widely speculated to have been her cousin and a close family friend.
In 1942,
Monroe's legal guardians moved across the country, and could not take her with them.
In order to not get sent back to an orphanage, then-16-year-old Monroe married a local man five
years older than her named James Dougherty, an actor and football star who she'd met a year
earlier. The two were reportedly very distant toward each other in their marriage.
Dougherty later went on to serve in WWII, leaving Monroe by herself after she had
dropped out of school to become a housewife. When Monroe's modeling career began to take off,
Dougherty did not approve of this career choice, which led to their divorce in 1946.
A photographer named
Bill Carroll gave Monroe her first paid modeling gig. From there, she began to book bigger gigs,
eventually signing on with one of the largest modeling agencies in Los Angeles. She then dyed
her light brown hair to the bright blond "Marilyn Monroe" style that the public associates with her
image today. Photographers often had her pose in two-piece swimsuits to show off her body,
and she was often seen on the covers of popular pinup magazines.
The many photographs then caught the attention of film casting director Ben Lyon of 20th
Century Fox. After a successful screen test in 1946, she was signed to the production company
with a six-month contract. At that time, she changed her name to Marilyn Monroe,
combining the monikers of 1920s actress Marilyn Miller and her mother's middle name.
Before her massive fame and wealth, a then-financially struggling Monroe often
posed without clothes during her photography sessions in an attempt to earn more money.
In 1953, Playboy Magazine released its first issue containing rare, full-color images of a
completely bare-skinned Monroe. It was revealed that founder Hugh Hefner obtained the photos
and published them without Monroe knowing. She also was never financially compensated.
"You know I'm a sucker for blondes and she is the ultimate blonde."
20th-Century Fox wanted Monroe to deny it was her body that was captured in the snapshots, worrying
it would heavily damage her reputation. However, she owned up to the situation without shame,
even admitting that she had bought a copy of the issue for herself. Her choice, to be honest,
ended up being a wise one. This scandal not only failed to harm Monroe's acting career,
but it helped to launch her image as a mega sex symbol. Monroe later told an interviewer:
"Of course they were wrong. The fans, my public, cheered when I admitted it was me,
and that calendar and that Playboy first-issue publicity helped my career."
In the majority of her roles,
Monroe typically played ditzy, airheaded, and superficial women.
Since the start of her fame, she highly popularized the "dumb blond" stereotype.
In the film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Monroe's character said:
"I can be smart when it's important, but most men don't like it."
As her career developed, Monroe became frustrated with her narrow typecasting. She eventually wanted
to be taken more seriously as an actress. This led her to study method acting with renowned coach
Lee Strasberg, who had also worked with such A-list stars as Paul Newman and Marlon Brando.
"Hey, Stella!!!"
She then went on to star in the film Bus Stop, which contained a serious, dramatic script.
Monroe was critically praised for her portrayal of an emotionally complicated character.
During the earlier years
of the film industry, actors were often treated as money-making machines. They were often bred
by major studios to produce as much content as possible for the sake of box-office numbers,
as opposed to using an art form to tell a story. They also very rarely
had any say in the roles they played, and their personal lives and schedule
were intensely controlled by executives, leaving virtually no room for privacy.
Despite being Hollywood's biggest star at the time, Monroe was no exception to this
phenomenon. 20th Century Fox overworked her with intense filming hours, to the point where
she would often pass out on set. She was also grossly underpaid, and was forced to play vapid,
mind-numbing characters that she detested. In order to protest her strict contract, Monroe
eventually stopped showing up to productions. This caused Fox to file multiple lawsuits against her,
although they were eventually dropped. The company ended up caving in and raising
Monroe's pay while giving her significantly more creative agency over her film choices.
When it comes to Monroe's love life, her second marriage was highly publicized
by the media. That's because she wed Joe DiMaggio, who is commonly
regarded as one of the greatest baseball players of all time. The two wed in 1954,
and had a passionate connection with a strong physical attraction. However,
there was an immediate conflict between the pair's lifestyle and career choices.
DiMaggio was highly jealous and possessive of Monroe, as he was uncomfortable with her sexually
liberated nature. He was reportedly disgusted by the way she presented herself in her films,
to the point where he attempted to control the way she dressed. While DiMaggio wanted a traditional,
obedient housewife, Monroe wanted a partner who would support her career and independence. The
two ended up divorcing after a mere nine months of marriage, with Monroe citing "mental cruelty."
Marilyn Monroe went on to wed for a third time before her death,
marrying esteemed playwright Arthur Miller in 1956 after he left his wife
for her. Monroe was apparently drawn to the idea of being with a well-respected artist,
believing it would strengthen her reputation as a serious actress. She also reportedly
became attached to the sense of security Miller gave her during their courtship.
However, their relationship started going downhill during the production of her final film,
The Misfits, in 1960. She was reportedly not a fan of the script,
despite Arthur writing it in an attempt to demonstrate her versatility as an actress.
He ended up rewriting the script at the last minute, making it very difficult for
Monroe to adapt to the line changes. The two ended up divorcing in 1961.
Tortured by an unhealthy industry and frequently exploited by many around her,
Monroe suffered from mental health issues for the majority of her life. While her substance
abuse has been backed by historical evidence, many sources, including PBS, have widely
speculated that she also suffered from bipolar disorder. Unfortunately, she lived during a
time when very limited research and resources were available to those suffering from mood disorders.
Monroe's emotional state especially decreased toward the end of her career,
as she fell into a dark depression after her third divorce. In 1961,
Monroe was involuntarily committed to a psych ward due to becoming increasingly unstable. According
to Vanity Fair, she was subjected to physical abuse and told she would be put in a straight
jacket if she did not cooperate, causing her to threaten self-harm. Monroe was reportedly
so distraught by being in the institution that she called her ex-husband Joe DiMaggio
and pleaded with him to help free her. Dimaggio eventually complied.
In 1962, Marilyn Monroe made her final appearance on screen in the comedy film Something's Got to
Give, also starring Dean Martin. Her substance abuse was so out of control that she rarely
showed up to production, frequently providing doctors' notes citing various illnesses.
When she did manage to appear during filming, she apparently couldn't remember her lines.
Monroe's behavior on set during this time was originally described as "disruptive" by the media.
However, years later, footage of her many takes was discovered. The clips showed
her apologizing sincerely for missing cues and being respectful to her co-stars. Despite this,
she was eventually fired from the film due to too many absences. She was brought back a few months
later after Dean Martin said he refused to work with anyone else. Unfortunately, Monroe passed
away before filming could resume, resulting in the entire project being permanently scrapped.
Death was likely a suicide On August 5, 1962, 36-year-old
Marilyn Monroe was found dead in her bedroom in California
surrounded by empty bottles of pills. While the cause of death was ruled an overdose,
it is often questioned whether or not it was intentional, as she didn't leave a note. The
Los Angeles police ultimately ruled the tragic incident as a "probable suicide."
Monroe's untimely passing caused mass shock and sadness. Public figures such as Sophia Loren,
Frank Sinatra, and Truman Capote were devastated by the news. Many heavily criticized Hollywood
and the media's brutal treatment of fragile young actresses. Her ex-husbands Joe DiMaggio and Arthur
Miller expressed similar sentiments. While Miller surprisingly did not attend Monroe's funeral,
DiMaggio was so profoundly devastated by her death that he had arranged to
have flowers displayed at her gravesite multiple times a week for two decades.
If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the
Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness
helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.