Kim Kardashian Actually Didn’t Damage Marilyn Monroe Dress According to Ripley’s

Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! is disputing allegations that Marilyn Monroe’s 1962 “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” dress was damaged when Kim Kardashian wore it briefly to the Met Gala in May. The organization claims Kardashian did not “in any way” damage the dress. The Marilyn Monroe Collection, the private Monroe archive that rose concerns about the damage, insisted in new posts Thursday the dress experienced more damage after Kardashian wore it.

Earlier this week, Monroe expert Scott Fortner posted new photos of the dress taken by a friend at Ripley’s museum in Hollywood, where the dress is back on public display. Fortner compared the new pictures to screenshots from a 2016 video filmed at the Julien’s Auctions event where Ripley’s acquired the dress for $4.8 million. In its response to Fortner’s Instagram posts, Ripley’s cited a 2017 report on the dress’ condition that outlined damage at that time. The 2017 report noted “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,” among other damages.

“Kim Kardashian wearing the ‘Happy Birthday’ dress has been hotly contested, but the fact remains that she did not, in any way, damage the garment in the short amount of time it was worn at the Met Gala,” Ripley’s noted. “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,” Amanda Joiner, Ripley’s VP of Publishing and Licensing who traveled with the dress to deliver it to Kardashian, added.

“A recent social media post asked, ‘Was it worth it?’” Ripley’s continued, referring to Fortner’s viral Instagram post. “Kim Kardashian did not pay Ripley’s Believe It or Not! to wear the dress, nor did the company pay her. Rather, Kardashian made a charitable donation to two charities in the greater Orlando area on behalf of the company.”

After Ripley’s published their response, Fortner published his own. First, he compared the post-Met Gala photos to screenshots from a video Ripley’s released showing Kardashian trying on the dress before the event. This appeared to show more damage to the dress after it was worn to the gala. “It’s never been implied that the gown was in perfect condition. My own photos show some crystals missing prior to the auction,” Fortner wrote. “However, it’s significantly more today. I don’t think we need to ask why when we see the video of the fitting.”

Next, Fortner said the 2017 report Ripley’s cited should be just as “irrelevant” as his own 2016 photos. “If a photo of the gown from 2016 is irrelevant, then so is an uncredited condition report from 2017. These images were taken 52 days apart, and they speak for themselves,” Fortner wrote, alongside another screenshot comparing a screenshot from Kardashian’s fitting on April 12 to the post-gala photo from June 17.

Monroe wore the dress on May 16, 1962, during a Madison Square Garden birthday celebration for President John F. Kennedy. It had not been worn by anyone else until Kardashian put it on for the May 2 gala. She wore the dress for about five minutes, long enough to walk the red carpet and pose for photos. Kardashian changed into a replica dress, which she then wore for the rest of the event. Since the dress was tailored exactly to Monroe’s measurements and could not be altered, fans and historians were horrified by the possible damage Kardashian may have caused. In its first post-gala statement, Ripley’s insisted Kardashian did not do any damage to the dress and followed strict guidelines.

“This was no easy decision for Ripley’s, however, Kim Kardashian has continued to show the utmost respect for this opportunity and historic garment,” Ripley’s said last month. “From extensive research to following guidelines such as no body makeup, only wearing the dress for the short red-carpet appearance, and making absolutely no alterations, she has become a steward – and added to – its history.”