Did Kim Kardashian Really Ruin Marilyn Monroe's Iconic 'Happy Birthday Mr. President' Dress? Ripley's Finally Responds

Kim Kardashian recently faced backlash after a devotee of Marilyn Monroe claimed that the actress' famous "Happy Birthday Mr. President" dress worn by the reality star at the Met Gala was allegedly damaged.

However, Ripley's Believe It Or Not!, which owns Monroe's dress and lent it to the SKIMS founder for the May event, said this was not true.

Daily Mail reported that the Marilyn Monroe Collection shared on Instagram on Monday the photos of the said dress that now has "missing crystals," and some were "left hanging by a thread."

The photo shared by the Marilyn Monroe devotee showed the before and after Kardashian wore the famous dress. An image allegedly taken before the Met Gala showed that the dress was in good condition and intact. However, the other photo of the dress showed worn-out parts near its zipper after the gala.

Marilyn Monroe Dress Already Slightly Damaged Before Kim Kardashian Wears It

According to Ripley's, the dress was already slightly damaged when they purchased it in 2016. In a statement on Thursday, Ripley's said Kim Kardashian "did not, in any way, damage the garment in the short amount of time" it was worn at the gala.

CNN reported that Ripley's noted that when they bought the dress during the 2016 auction, it already had "a number of the seams pulled and worn." In addition, it said it also had some "puckering at the back by the hooks and eyes."

Ripley's VP for publishing and licensing, Amanda Joiner, also corroborated this by saying that the dress remained the same from when Kardashian received it until she returned it.

Kardashian wearing the gown also sparked some criticism from the International Council of Museums (ICOM). In a statement, the international governing body for heritage organizations said that "historic garments should not be worn by anybody, public or private figures."

The ICOM added that "as museum professionals, we strongly recommend all museums to avoid lending historic garments to be worn, as they are artifacts of the material culture of its time, and they must be kept preserved for future generations."

Source Close To Kim Kardashian Corroborates Ripley's Statement

A source close to Kim Kardashian told the Daily Mail that the images uploaded by the Marilyn Monroe devotee on Instagram were inaccurate.

The source noted that the allegations about Kardashian ruining the famous dress were "false." The insider said the Marilyn Monroe dress had signs of wear before Ripley's bought it, adding that the reality star only wore it for less than 15 minutes.

Marilyn Monroe wore the iconic "Happy Birthday" dress when she sang "Happy Birthday, Mr. President," in May 1962 at a fundraiser for then-President John F. Kennedy and the Democratic National Committee.

Monroe sang the song 10 days before Kennedy's actual birthday. The dress was sheer and form-fitting, dotted with dazzling beads of more than 2,500 rhinestones.

The price of the dress now is worth $13,700.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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