Marilyn Monroe, the iconic star we still remember and celebrate, is more than the happy, smiling, blonde, simple-minded person we saw on screen. Here are some facts about Marilyn Monroe behind the scenes, that will blow your mind.
Marilyn Monroe facts
Her name at birth
Marilyn Monroe was not her given name at birth. Norma Jeane Mortenson was Marilyn Monroe’s real name. Her screen name, Marilyn Monroe is the one held in the hearts of millions of people.
Growing up in foster care
Marilyn’s mother, Gladys Pearl Baker, had mental issues. Marilyn’s mother was considered incapable of raising her daughter. She had to grow up in foster care with many families and even ended up in an orphanage for a short period. She had a tough childhood.
What was Marilyn Monroe’s original name?
- A. Norma Jeane Mortenson
- B. Jeane Baker
- C. Marilyn
- D. None of the above
Married at 16
After all the years of a tough life, Monroe married James Dougherty at 16. They eventually separated after a while.
Owned 400 books
Marilyn was fond of reading and had about 400 books. Though she played simple-minded roles, she was quite intellectual. She even had strong political opinions.
Marilyn’s film production
She was one of the first women to start a film production company under her name. Only one film got released under the banner of the production “The Prince and the Showgirl” in 1957.
Not blonde
Marilyn was born a redhead and was not blonde. She changed the color of her strands to blonde.
Her wardrobe
The star’s classic costumes had made a whopping fortune of several million dollars. Marilyn’s “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” outfit made about $4.8 million in 2016. She wore and owned several iconic pieces.
She wanted to become a mother
The actress wanted to become a mother and underwent a few miscarriages as well. She had this sense of loneliness within, and the star known for her glam yearned to nurture a child.
Married thrice
The glamorous actress who won the hearts of millions did not have it smooth with her married life. She divorced and remarried Joe DiMaggio and Arthur Miller after splitting from her first husband at age 16, James Dougherty.
Monroe had a rough childhood with separation from her mother, growing up in foster care with few families, and not having the proper space to grow. It was followed by a disturbed marital life, leading to three divorces. She wanted to become a mother and suffered miscarriages. Marilyn died at the age of 36, and the previous unfortunate events in her life even ruled out her cause of death as “probable suicide,” along with her habits of drugs and suicide attempts.
Even though a drug overdose is listed as the cause of death, there was only a bottle of pills present—no glass to drink water from or any indication that the drug had been present in her intestines. It could be possible that she injected the drug into her bloodstream.
Check out our quiz below to test your understanding of Marilyn Monroe’s facts.