Kim Kardashian Did NOT Damage Marilyn Monroe's Dress, Ripley's Explains Why
Kim Kardashian got her name cleared from any Marilyn Monroe's dress-related issues after Ripley's Believe It or Not! museum released a statement about it.
Kardashian found herself in hot water after borrowing the multi-million-dollar dress to wear at the Met Gala in May. The dress in question, designed by Jean Louis, was originally worn by the late model during then-President John F. Kennedy's birthday fundraiser.
After the museum bought it for $4.8 million in a 2016 auction, Marilyn Monroe's dress is now valued at over $10 million.
The KKW Beauty mogul suffered criticism as she reportedly ruined the dress.
But Ripley's has since released a statement saying that Kardashian "did not, in any way, damage the garment in the short amount of time it was worn at the Met Gala."
According to Ripley's VP of publishing and licensing, Amanda Joiner, the gown remained the same before and after the reality TV star wore it.
The company disclosed that the dress was already slightly damaged at the time the company got it through the auction.
"[The dress has] a number of the seams are pulled and worn. This is not surprising given how delicate the material is. There is puckering at the back by the hooks and eyes," Ripley's said. "From the bottom of the Met steps, where Kim got into the dress, to the top where it was returned, the dress was in the same condition it started in."
This supported Kardashian's claims that she altered herself instead by losing 16 pounds in three weeks. That way, she was able to squeeze herself into the dress.
Kim Kardashian Got Called Out by Monroe Historian
Before the Ripley's Believe It or Not! museum clarified the reports, a Monroe historian said the damage was significant.
Scott Fortner shared photos of the gown and said that there were missing crystals while some were left hanging by a thread.
"On both sides of the zipper, the fabric was completely frayed like shredded chicken," ChadMichael Morrisette, a visual artist and costume expert who helped display the dress, explained. "I have seen this dress throughout the years and have worked with it myself, and I knew immediately that there was irreparable damage done."
But now that the museum has clarified it, it is safe to say that the "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" star did not cause damage to the "world's most expensive dress."
