Marilyn Monroe’s iconic gown, also known as the most expensive dress in the world, has allegedly been damaged after Kim Kardashian wore it to the 2022 Met Gala in May.
Driving the news: PopCrave tweeted before and after pictures of the gown on June 13, claiming the dress “now shows signs of tearing, and several crystals are either missing or hanging off of it.”
- Monroe wore the dress in 1962 during her famous performance of “Happy Birthday,” which she sang to President John F. Kennedy for his 45th birthday.
What they’re saying: Some fans are extremely upset about the seeming lack of care toward the dress, claiming Kardashian has now “ruined” a piece of history.
- Twitter user bl_miller2 believes Kardashian could have simply worn a remake of the dress instead, saying, “It’s a historical artifact that has been damaged beyond repair for no good reason. KK had a replica of the dress and didn’t need to force herself into the original.”
- Fellow Twitter user Jahkeemstar voiced similar opinions in a Tweet with over 40,000 likes, saying, “Kim should’ve never worn that dress to begin with. ... it’s nice to pay homage to Marilyn but she could’ve had a new dress made and replicated. This was a timeless and iconic artifact that’s been ruined.”
- On the other hand, some are apathetic toward the damaged gown, saying it’s just a dress. One user argued, “If this was such an important piece of history why wasn’t it in the Smithsonian? It was at ripleys believe it or not in Orlando.”
Who’s to blame? While Kardashian paid to wear the dress, some say it’s the Ripley’s museum’s fault for letting her wear it in the first place.
- One Twitter user believes the staff should have taken better care of it and not allowed Kardashian to wear it, claiming “they went against museum ethics.”
Details: After the Met Gala, Ripley’s released a statement on May 2 detailing the great lengths it took to preserve the dress prior to Kardashian’s use, making no alterations and receiving input from garment conservationists, appraisers and archivists. The museum also noted that Kardashian changed into a replica after the red carpet event.
- “Ripley’s further addressed the issue 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,” reports Us Magazine.
- In an interview with Vogue, Kardashian shared her high regard of the dress and its significance, saying, “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.”
- Kardashian notably lost 16 pounds in three weeks in order to fit in the dress, per Deseret News.