Kim Kardashian’s Marilyn Monroe Dress Debacle: From Her Met Gala Weight Loss to the Alleged Damage

Credit: Stephen Lovekin/BEI/Shutterstock

Kim Kardashian's Marilyn Monroe Dress Debacle: From Her Met Gala Weight Loss to the Alleged Damage

For Kim Kardashian, a fashion dream has quickly turned into a fashion nightmare. The reality star has found herself in hot water amid her decision to wear Marilyn Monroe's iconic "Happy Birthday Mr. President" dress to the 2022 Met Gala. Following weeks of chatter, the controversy came to a climax after collector Scott Fortner claimed the Bob Mackie design, which the late actress wore to serenade then-President John F. Kennedy in 1962, was badly damaged after the Skims founder, 41, wore the gown on the red carpet during fashion's biggest night. Though the reality star quickly slipped into a replica after wearing Monroe's look on the Met steps, the alleged harm had already been done, according to Fortner. On June 13, Fortner shared a photo he claims was taken after it was loaned to Kardashian. The dress appears to be missing crystals and seems to be tearing at the zipper. While Kardashian has not yet commented on the alleged damage, art historians warned against having the beauty mogul be in possession of the legendary garment. [jwplayer 2KLZ8jub-zhNYySv2] "Historic garments should not be worn by anybody, public or private figures," the International Council of Museums (ICOM) said in a statement on May 13, per Art News. "Prevention is better than cure." Mackie himself also expressed disapproval. “I thought it was a big mistake,” the designer told Entertainment Weekly last month. “[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.” Ripley's Believe It or Not! acquired the dress for a whopping $4.8 million in Los Angeles in 2016. “We believe this is the most iconic piece of pop culture there is,” Edward Meyer, vice president of Ripley’s Believe It or Not, said after the purchase. “In the 20th century I cannot think of one single item that tells the story of the 1960s as well as this dress. It’s a new world record for a dress.” Until Kardashian's Met appearance, the glittery look had been stored in a temperature-controlled room. Keep scrolling for all the details on the dress controversy. [podcast_block]

Credit: Stephen Lovekin/BEI/Shutterstock

A Fashion Risk

On May 2, Ripley's posted a video of Kardashian visiting the gallery to try on the garment. In the clip, handlers are seen wearing white gloves while helping the SKKN by Kim founder squeeze into the dress. "Oh my God," Kardashian said with excitement as the ensemble slipped on.

In the caption of the post, the archival center asserted that "great care was taken to preserve this piece of pop culture history." Ripley's insisted that no alterations were to be made to the dress and that Kardashian changed into a replica after taking photos in the look on the Met red carpet.

Kardashian echoed similar sentiments in an interview with Vogue published on May 2, sharing: “I’m extremely respectful to the dress and what it means to American history. I would never want to sit in it or eat in it or have any risk of any damage to it and I won’t be wearing the kind of body makeup I usually do."

Credit: Matt Baron/Shutterstock

A Unique Souvenir

Though Kardashian wasn't able to keep Monroe's dress, she was given a special present: a lock of the late star's hair. 

“We really appreciated her partnership and felt that she was a great partner with Ripley’s Believe It or Not! for us to be able to retell the Marilyn Monroe story to a new generation,” Amanda Joiner, vice president of publishing and licensing for Ripley’s, exclusively told Us Weekly on May 3. “We have 25,000 exhibits in Ripley’s, and when we’re working with partners, we want to show them our quirky side as well — and so that was the gift that we chose to give to her."

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Great Lengths

The social media star also revealed to Vogue in the May 2 interview that she went on an extreme diet to fit the dress due to the no alterations policy. “I would wear a sauna suit twice a day, run on the treadmill, completely cut out all sugar and all carbs, and just eat the cleanest veggies and protein … I didn’t starve myself, but I was so strict,” she told​​​​ the outlet.

In a different interview with the fashion magazine, the Selfish author revealed she had to “lose 16 pounds … to be able to fit” in the gown.

Credit: David Fisher/Shutterstock

Addressing the Backlash

Outrage ensued after the Met Gala, prompting Ripley's to further address their approval in a statement released on May 5, per the Daily Beast.

“We basically had many conversations with Kim and her team and put a lot of requirements in place with security and with the handling of the dress,” Joiner, Vice President of licensing and publishing at Ripley’s, said. “The dress was never with Kim alone. It was always with a Ripley’s representative. We always ensured that at any time we felt that the dress was in danger or ripping or we felt uncomfortable about anything, we always had the ability to be able to say we were not going to continue with this.”

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A Message From Marilyn Monroe's Estate

On May 4, TMZ published a report, stating that Nick Woodhouse, president and CMO of Authentic Brands Group, which manages Monroe's estate, said he believes the late star would have been delighted to see Kardashian in the dress. Woodhouse even said there was "no better person" to wear the jewel-adorned frock than Kardashian.

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Bob Mackie Speaks Out

“I thought it was a big mistake,” the designer told Entertainment Weekly last month. “[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.”

Mackie was 23 when he created the sketch for the dress while working under designer Jean Louis.

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Defending Her Words

The reality star addressed concerns about her weight loss during an interview with The New York Times, which was published on June 1. “To me it was like, ‘OK, Christian Bale can do it for a movie role and that is acceptable.’ Even Renée Zellweger gained weight for a role. It’s all the same to me,” Kardashian said. 

“I wasn’t saying, ‘Hey everyone, why don’t you go lose this weight in a short period of time?’”

The businesswoman noted that she “didn’t do anything unhealthy” to fit into the dress. “It was just important to me to reach that goal,” Kardashian added, before explaining her plan if she didn’t lose the weight in time. “I just simply couldn’t have gone, which wouldn’t have mattered.”

Credit: Matt Baron/Shutterstock

Damage Done

On June 13, Fortner posted what he claims are before and after photos of the jeweled Mackie design via Instagram. In the after shot, which Fortner seemingly captured on June 12, the dress appears to be missing crystals and seems to be tearing at the zipper. In the caption of the social media post, the art historian wrote: “Was it worth it?” tagging Ripley’s Believe It or Not! — the gallery the dress had been housed in since 2016.

(Us has reached out to Ripley’s and Kardashian’s rep for comment.)

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The Saga Continues

On the evening of June 13, Fortner accused Kardashian of causing additional damage to the dress. He posted photos via his Instagram Story that showed rips in the sleeve of the historic gown.

Fortner also uploaded a before photo, that showed the same area of the dress completely intact. Elsewhere on his Instagram Story, the fashion archivist shared a before and after image of the bottom of the gown. In the after shot, the dress seems to be missing jewels and is slightly frayed.

Credit: David Fisher/Shutterstock

Setting the Record Straight

On June 16, Ripley's issued a statement, shutting down claims that Kardashian damaged Monroe's gown.

"Kim Kardashian wearing the 'Happy Birthday' dress has been hotly contested, but the fact remains she did not, in any way, damage the garment in the short amount of time it was worn at the Met Gala," the archival center said.

Ripley’s Vice President of Publishing and Licensing, Amanda Joiner, added: “From the bottom of the Met steps, where Kim got into the dress, to the top where it was returned, the dress was in the same condition it started in.” The museum asserted that Joiner was with the dress throughout the day of the Met Gala and remained with the garment when it was transported from Orlando to New York for the big event.

The company then addressed Fortner directly. “A recent social media post asked, ‘Was it worth it?’ Kim Kardashian did not pay Ripley’s Believe It or Not! to wear the dress, nor did the company pay her. Rather, Kardashian made a charitable donation to two charities in the greater Orlando area on behalf of the dress.”

Ripley's also pointed out that a 2017 report on the dress’ condition revealed “a number of the seams are pulled and worn.”

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Breaking Her Silence

In an interview with Today, which aired on June 21, Kardashian told anchors Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie: “I respect [Marilyn]. I understand how much this dress means to American history and with the [Met] theme being American, I thought what is more American than Marilyn Monroe singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to the President of the United States.”

She continued, “It was such a process. I showed up to the red carpet in a robe and slippers and I put the dress on at the bottom of the carpet, went up the stairs … I probably had it on for three minutes, four minutes, and then I changed at the top of the stairs.”

When Kotb asked Kardashian to address claims the dress was “ruined,” she shook her head and said, “No … Ripley’s [and I] worked together so well. There were handlers and gloves that put it on me.”