Kim Kardashian Claims Not Many Knew Marilyn Monroe Until She Wore Her Iconic Dress at an Event

Kim Kardashian once ignited controversy by claiming that many people didn’t know who Marilyn Monroe was before she wore the iconic “Happy Birthday Mr. President” dress at the 2022 Met Gala. During an interview, an interviewer asked Kardashian, "We were just talking, you said you were shocked on TikTok, some people don't even know who Marilyn Monroe was." To which Kardashian replied, "That was the most shocking thing to me and that's why I was so happy to at least have that opportunity and that Ripley's gave me the opportunity to share this moment so that it could live on."

As per Unilad, Kardashian’s decision to wear the dress, famously worn by Monroe during her 1962 performance for President John F. Kennedy, made headlines and attracted criticism. The dress, which is a key piece of American history, had originally been so tight that Monroe had to be sewn into it. Kim said,  "I respect her and I understand how much this dress means to American history…It was such a process. I showed up on the red carpet in a robe and slippers. I put the dress on on the bottom of the carpet, went up the stairs, I probably had it on for four minutes and then I changed right at the top of the stairs. [Ripley's and I] worked together so well.."

When Kardashian appeared on the Met Gala red carpet in the gown, she faced backlash for reportedly losing 16 pounds in just three weeks to fit into the garment. Critics also accused her of potentially damaging the fragile dress. Kardashian has denied such allegations and said,  "I'm not trying to lose any more weight but I have more energy than ever. I cut out so much sugar and a lot of junk food I was eating. I just completely changed my lifestyle."

The journey to wearing the dress was anything but easy for Kardashian. She revealed in her show The Kardashians that the dress initially didn’t fit when it arrived, and she was devastated. Determined to make it work, she embarked on a strict diet and exercise regimen, cutting out sugar and carbs and working out intensely to shed the weight needed to fit in the gown. Back then, Kardashian said she would do “everything” to make sure the dress worked for the big night.

As per People magazine, Kardashian shared, "No one trusted us; for years, they would never send samples. And then once I would get to Paris and try on the samples, they would be like, 'Oh, wait, she actually fits in our stuff.' So I don't know how to convince the guy who owns the original Marilyn dress that I'm a shapeshifter. I bet the fabric shrunk a little bit over time, but like, the dress will fit. I'm one step closer to bringing my vision to life."