Ripley’s Rep Confirms (Yet Again): Kim Kardashian Did Not Damage the Marilyn Monroe Dress
Kim Kardashian appeared at the Met Gala 2022 wearing the late Monroe’s 1962 dress for only a few minutes. The business mogul made headlines in May when she wore Monroe’s iconic gown to the 2022 Met Gala. Earlier this month, it was reported that the reality TV star had ruined the late Hollywood actor’s dress.
This news made fans believe she’s now cursed because the dress was only designed for the American actor, and she only wore it once. However, according to a new report, the iconic pop culture figure did not damage the gown. The rep of Ripley’s said, “There was no damage done, no matter what you read online.”
Did the Kardashian damage the Monroe dress?
The iconic beaded Marilyn Monroe gown Kardashian wore to the 2022 Met Gala, according to Ripley’s, was not damaged during fittings or when she wore it at the Met Gala. Monroe wore the dress only once.
New photos of the dress taken before and after she wore it appears to show the strained fabric and lacking beads. The dress’s designer, Bob Mackie, said allowing reality TV stars to wear it was a “big mistake.”
Ripley’s confirmed back in June that Kardashian didn’t damage the dress
After photos allegedly showing the dress before and after Kardashian wore it went viral on social media, a representative for Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, who purchased the dress for $4.8 million in 2016, defended the mother of four in an interview. The rep for Ripley’s saw the need to reconfirm that fact at the November 2022 IAAPA Expo in Orlando.
The rep told TMZ that an early 2017 report on the dress’s condition noted that several seams were torn since the material was delicate while noting that puffiness near the hooks and eyes in the back were another example of damage.
The alleged “before” photo of the famous dress, according to TMZ, was actually taken before Ripley’s acquired the item. The representative explained to the media outlet that since being purchased, Ripley’s had exhibited the dress worldwide, putting it at risk for damage.
The reality TV star wore the dress at the bottom of the Met steps and returned it at the top in the same condition that it was found there, according to Amanda Joiner, Vice President of Publishing and Licensing at Ripley’s, who was with the dress and Kardashian the entire day at the Met Gala.
The reality TV star wore the dress briefly at the Met Gala
The reality TV star finally addressed the controversy about the iconic American actor dress. The mother of four said she arrived at the 2022 Met Gala wearing a robe, slippers, and the dress at the bottom of the carpet. She also said she had assistants who wore gloves and masks who helped her to put on the dress.
Kardashian changed in a tent on the red carpet and wore the dress to walk to the carpet and stairs. After three to four minutes, she then removed the dress and changed into a replica, she stated.
Monroe first wore the dress when she performed at JFK’s birthday celebration in 1962. The iconic pop culture figure claimed that after Ripley initially refused to let her wear the dress, she lost 16 pounds to wear the piece.
The reality TV star also received the actor’s hair as a gift and was able to look through Monroe’s makeup kit.
How did Ripley’s take ownership of the most iconic dress in history?
The gown was purchased by Ripley’s for $4.8 million at an auction in 2016. The look Monroe wore in 1962 to serenade then-President John F. Kennedy was among the Monroe memorabilia that Morissette claimed he was hired to stage.
Ripley’s also had other memorabilia of Monroe’s, including some of her jewelry and cosmetics.
