Marilyn Monroe devotee accuses Kim Kardashian of damaging iconic dress at the Met Gala

Scandalous Fashion Disaster

Marilyn Monroe devotee accuses Kim Kardashian of damaging iconic ‘Happy Birthday Mr. President’ dress at the Met Gala, sharing images of the iconic gown with ‘missing crystals’ and others ‘left hanging by a thread’

The Marilyn Monroe Collection shared ‘before and after’ photos of the dress on display at Ripley’s Believe It or Not! to show the alleged damage
The account, which is run by historian and collector Scott Fortner, claimed the gown had ‘missing crystals’ and some were ‘left hanging by a thread’
The viral images in question were allegedly taken by ChadMichael Morrisette at the museum’s Hollywood location on June 12
Monroe wore the custom Jean Louis gown to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to then-President John F. Kennedy on May 19, 1962
Kardashian, 41, was loaned the gown by officials at Ripley’s Believe It or Not! to briefly wear on the Met Gala red carpet before she changed into a replica

A Marilyn Monroe devotee has accused Kim Kardashian of damaging the iconic nude gown the actress wore to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to then-President John F. Kennedy in 1962 when she modeled it at the Met Gala last month.

The Marilyn Monroe Collection shared photos of the dress allegedly on display at Ripley’s Believe It or Not! on Instagram Monday, claiming it now has ‘missing crystals’ and some were ‘left hanging by a thread.’

The viral images in question were taken by ChadMichael Morrisette at the museum’s Hollywood location on June 12, according to the account run by historian and collector Scott Fortner.

The Marilyn Monroe Collection shared ‘before and after’ photos of the dress on display at Ripley’s Believe It or Not! to show the alleged damage

Kardashian, 41, was loaned the gown by officials at the museum, where the 60-year-old dress has been stored in a temperature-controlled environment since it was bought for a record-breaking $5 million in 2016.

‘Great care was taken to preserve this piece of pop culture history,’ Ripley’s said in May.

‘With input from garment conservationists, appraisers, and archivists, the garment’s condition was top priority. Believe It or Not! no alterations were to be made to the dress and Kim even changed into a replica after the red carpet!⁠’

Hundreds of fans took to the comments to point out the alleged damage in the ‘before and after’ photos shared by the Marilyn Monroe Collection, though there was no way to confirm the validity of the images.

‘Missing so many crystals and those tears,’ one person wrote. ‘What a disaster!!’

The viral images in question were allegedly taken by ChadMichael Morrisette at the museum’s Hollywood location on June 12

The account, which is run by historian and collector Scott Fortner, claimed the gown had ‘missing crystals’ and some were ‘left hanging by a thread’

Images shared by Fortner claim to show the dress with several crystals missing from the back of the design

‘Not only the stretching around the zipper, but if you look at the upper-ish left side, there are several crystals missing!’ another added.

‘Damage has been done, and it can’t be fixed,’ someone else griped.

‘The fabric is torn. Imagine what could have happened to it if Kim had worn the dress even longer. I’m so sad to see this.’

Kardashian was the first person to don the gown since it was worn by Monroe in 1962. She admitted she lost 16 pounds in three weeks to fit into the dress, but she was still unable to zip it.

The reality star added a white fur shawl to the look to hide that it was open in the back. She only wore the original dress for her red carpet appearance and changed into a replica before making her way into the Met Gala.

Historian and collector Scott Fortner was among a long list of fashion historians and costume experts who have decried the decision to allow the delicate piece to be brought out of its carefully preserved storage.

‘No one should have reworn this dress,’ he told the New York Post last month. ‘It’s hard because [Kardashian] is one of the most influential people in the world.

Monroe wore the custom Jean Louis gown to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to then-President John F. Kennedy on May 19, 1962

‘If it was up to me, I would not have allowed it simply because of the importance of the piece in American cultural history,’ he added. ‘But let me be clear, this is nothing to do with Kim Kardashian.’

Famed designer Bob Mackie, 82, also slammed the decision to allow Kardashian to wear the gown to the Met Gala.

He was just 23 years old when he sketched the original design for the dress while working as an assistant to fashion legend Jean Louis, who created the gown especially for Monroe to wear to serenade President Kennedy on May 19, 1962.

‘I thought it was a big mistake,’ he told Entertainment Weekly. ‘[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.’… More