In life,
Marilyn Monroe was an alluring enigma that enchanted the world, it should come
as no surprise that the circumstances of her death were equally mystic. On August 5, 1962, Hollywood star and major
sex symbol Marilyn Monroe was found dead in her Brentwood home. The official
story of her death was an untimely suicide by barbiturate overdose, not an
unlikely story given her history of mental illness and declining mental state
leading up to her death (“Marilyn
Monroe is Found Dead”). But given how
tumultuous her life was, many refuse to believe it was that simple, giving way
to many conspiracy theories concerning the real cause of her death. Was it all
a cover-up by her doctors? Was
it the mafia? Or, most famously, did the Kennedys, American royalty, kill her
as a way to silence the star? Let’s examine these various theories and try to
answer the question: What killed Marilyn Monroe?
Marilyn
Monroe, who is still a household name today,
is one of the most enduring symbols of “Old Hollywood”. She has been
immortalized in the form of the blonde bombshell in a white dress blown up over
a subway grate. Everyone knows Marilyn Monroe: the glitzy, sultry
superstar with the quick wit who was able to seduce a Kennedy. But, how
many people know Norma Jeane Mortenson: the lonely, volatile, woman who laid
beneath the surface and suffered from mental illness?
Marilyn’s
childhood was a significant factor in the development of her mental state later
in life. Her mother, Gladys, had mental health issues and as a result
could not raise Marilyn, who bounced between family friends and foster parents
for the majority of her childhood. Gladys spent many years in mental
health institutions being treated for paranoid schizophrenia, which supports
the claim made by many that Monroe suffered from mental health issues herself
given the high heritability of many mental illnesses (Genova). However,
it is not believed that it was schizophrenia that Monroe suffered from. According to Claudia Kalb, science journalist
and author of Andy Warhol was a Hoarder, “What
is clear is that Monroe suffered from severe mental distress. Her symptoms
included a feeling of emptiness, a split or confused identity, extreme
emotional volatility, unstable relationships, and an impulsivity that drove her
to drug addiction and suicide -- all textbook characteristics of a condition
called borderline personality disorder” (Genova).
It was not only the genetic aspect
of her upbringing that affected her, though. With her mother
unable to care for her and her father unknown, Marilyn was bounced from foster
home to foster home in a never ending cycle. She often stayed with a family
friend, until she was married off at sixteen to a Mr. James Dougherty who was
five years her senior (Kashner). The union was less about love than about
giving Marilyn stability, as according to her, "Grace McKee arranged the
marriage for me, I never had a choice. There's not much to say about it. They
couldn't support me, and they had to work out something. And so I got
married" (About Marilyn Monroe). She was insecure and lonely in the
relationship from the beginning. She did
not believe he had any true feelings for her and at one point expressed her
unease and vulnerabilities about the marriage, writing,
“Finding myself
ofhandedly stood up snubbed my first feeling was not of anger—but the numb pain
of rejection & hurt at the destruction of some sort of edealistic image of
true love. My first impulse then was one of complete subjection
humiliation, alonement to the male counterpart. (all this thought & writing
has made my hands tremble …” (Genova)
Unsurprisingly, that
marriage did not last, and the couple divorced four years later as Monroe’s
career began to take off (Huntington). Between being carted around to
different homes to her first failed marriage at a young age, it is not hard to
imagine the origin of her insecurities and fears of inadequacy that would haunt
her throughout her life.
Marilyn Monroe had a few unfortunate
marriages in her short life, beginning with the one just mentioned. In 1952 she met fellow actor Joe DiMaggio, and they soon began a
romance together (About Marilyn Monroe). Marilyn described him as reserved and
decent, someone who treated her very special. But their marriage fell apart
when Marilyn couldn’t stay confined to the housewife lifestyle that Joe wanted
for her. He was a jealous man, and did not like the male attention she
got from the movies she starred in. It was rumoured that he abused her when he
got angry about the attention she recieved (About Marilyn Monroe). Though Marilyn wanted to fulfill both their
dreams of her as the perfect housewife, it just was not the lifestyle for her.
She said as much when their divorce was announced, “When I married him (Joe), I
wasn't sure of why I married him, I have too many fantasies to be a
housewife" (About Marilyn Monroe). She soon began an affair with Arthur
Miller, who she later married in 1956. Marilyn desperately wanted to be a
good wife to him and not disappoint him, she even converted to Judaism before
marrying him. She wrote often about her fears that she would not be enough for
him once the honeymoon period of their relationship ended, writing poetry in
which she wondered, “but will he look like this when he is dead oh unbearable
fact inevitable yet sooner would I rather his love die than/or him?” (Kashner).
She later stumbled upon a diary of his that confirmed her greatest fears, that
she would disappoint those she loved.
Arthur wrote that he was “disappointed in her” and even wrote that she
often embarrassed him in front of his friends. This reveal devastated Marilyn,
and she felt deeply betrayed, writing of their relationship “Starting tomorrow
I will take care of myself for that’s all I really have and as I see it now
have ever had. Roxbury—I’ve tried to imagine spring all winter—it’s here and I
still feel hopeless. I think I hate it here because there is no love here
anymore…” (Kashner). This revelation most
likely exacerbated her already very prevalent fears of inadequacy and her
hopelessness for a happy ending. Once again, she longed to be the maternal
housewife that both she and her spouse wanted, but it just wasn’t who she was.
She was so troubled that she began taking barbiturates at the suggestion of her
doctor to help her sleep (Kashner).
Though there is no doubt
Marilyn Monroe was still the smart beauty she is known as today as proven by
her love of poetry and reading and her quick wit (Huntington) , it is very
evident that there is more beneath the surface. She was a Hollywood icon, but
she was still human, which is very evident from her struggles with
insecurities, mental illness, and abuse. Do these qualities point to the
simple suicide story that the public believes, or is there still more to the
story?
When concerning the death of Marilyn
Monroe, many reject the official story of a tragic suicide. While there are many theories surrounding the
true nature of her death, this essay will only focus on three. The first theory suggests that her doctors
were responsible and, with help from her housekeeper, covered it all up. The last two both involve the Kennedy family,
with one claiming it was a hit by the mafia as a warning to Robert Kennedy and
the other holding him directly responsible.
The first theory claims that Monroe’s
doctor and housekeeper staged the suicide.
Her psychiatrist Ralph Greenson was the one to find her body early in
the morning on August 5th. He was called by Monroe’s housekeeper, Eunice
Murray, after the star did not respond to her knocking on her door at around
midnight (1). After arriving, he knocked down the french window to her bedroom
to find her body on the bed (1).
Greenson and Murray then immediately called Monroe’s internist, Dr.
Hyman Engelberg, who pronounced her dead at 3:50 a.m. It wasn’t until thirty
minutes later that the police were called (1). Immediately upon arriving at the
scene Sergeant Jack Clemmons noticed suspicious details. The first was that the body seemed to be in
an unnatural position, appearing to have been moved (1). Also, though the drugs
that Monroe had supposedly taken were on the nightstand, missing was any drink
to down the countless pills with or any vomit indicative of an overdose
(1). Another thing Clemmons noticed was
the tell-tale sound of a washing machine running. Across the house of her dead employer, Eunice
Murray was washing sheets (1). Beyond
just the things the officer noticed, there were also inconsistencies in their
story. Both Monroe’s agent and lawyer
attest to being told of her death around 10:30 p.m., hours before he body was
supposedly found. These claims line up with the rigor mortis of the body, which
estimates her time of death from around 9-11:30 p.m. (1). This lead to Murray, Greenson, and Engelberg
changing their timeline, claiming to have found her hours earlier than they
originally stated (Death
of Marilyn Monroe).
All of these inconsistencies add up to a
suspicious looking trio. The most
damning piece of evidence to suggests that her death was not a suicide,
however, came from the toxicology and autopsy reports. Though there was a lethal amount of drugs in
her system, there was no trace of pills in her stomach. There was also no trace
of needle marks on her skin, which begs the question of how then did she
overdose herself? The LA deputy district
attorney at the time believed they were administered via enema, which would
explain bruising found on her body. This
all adds up to make both the doctors and the housekeeper very guilty, but what
doesn’t make sense is the motive.
Throughout the years there has never been a clear explanation for why
they would want Marilyn Monroe dead.
Some say that she was getting ready to fire them, something that was
typical of her to do to her employees. These three had been constants due to
her poor mental state but were soon to be cut, too (Rosenfield). According to
her masseur, her mental health had been improving and she was growing to resent
them (Rosenfield). Though this is
interesting, it does not necessarily point to murder. Also, none of the claims
have any real proof to back them up. Another possible explanation was that
Marilyn really did overdose due to the doctors’ medical negligence, having both
prescribed her drugs that were not supposed to mix, without the other knowing,
thus causing her death (Death of Marilyn Monroe). The doctors may have staged
it to look like a suicide and recruited the housekeeper to help, knowing that,
with her public mental health issues, the story would likely be accepted (Death
of Marilyn Monroe). Though this story is
more believable, it does not explain why no drugs were found in her
stomach.
The second theory is that that Chicago
mafia boss Sam Giancana ordered a hit on Marilyn in order to intimidate US
Attorney General Robert Kennedy. Kennedy had recently launched an investigation
into organized crime (Why the Mafia). This is said to have infuriated Giancana,
as he supposedly had ties to the Kennedy family. It is even claimed that he helped John F.
Kennedy win votes during the presidential election (Why the Mafia). This theory claims that Giancana ordered a
hitman to murder Marilyn using an enema to administer the drugs. These drugs
had also been used in the past in many mafia-related murders (Why the
Mafia). Though this theory lines up with
many of the unexplained elements of Monroe’s death, there is still not much
evidence that directly ties the mafia to her death.
The last theory is that Robert Kennedy
was responsible for her death. This is the most widely believed theory, with
forty percent in a recent survey believing this to be true (36% believing it to
truly be a suicide). Marilyn had reportedly threatened to go public with their
affair and other incriminating secrets she knew about him and JFK (Mitchell).
Years after Monroe’s death, Murray admitted that Robert Kennedy had visited
Marilyn the night that she died. That was the reason for the cover story, as
she said, “I told whatever I thought was good to tell” (Mitchell). He was, in
fact, spotted arriving at Monroe’s house with two men by her neighbors. The two
reportedly argued violently that night (Mitchell). Kennedy reportedly asked the men to leave and
when they returned Monroe was unconscious in the guest bedroom (Death of Marilyn
Monroe). Kennedy was also seen by
multiple witnesses in Los Angeles on the day of her death, once even in the
company of Ralph Greenson (Death of Marilyn Monroe). This has led many to
believe that Kennedy had conspired with the doctors and housekeeper to kill
Marilyn Monroe and stage it to look like an accident. Some point out that Kennedy would not be dumb
enough to visit Monroe if he was planning on killing her, but perhaps he did
not plan it. It is possible that he did not intend to kill her, but something
happened during their argument that ended in her death. He then may have
contacted Greenson to help cover it up and stage a suicide. Even Marilyn’s ex-husband, Joe DiMaggio, was
convinced that the Kennedys were in some way responsible for her death. She
supposedly told him that she thought someone was going to “do her in” (Carter). He said, “I always knew who killed her, but I
didn't want to start a revolution in this country, I'll go to the grave
regretting and blaming myself for what happened to her.” speaking of the
Kennedys (Carter). Whatever the details were, this seems to be the most likely
theory. Whether he killed her and had her doctors cover it up, or he got them
to kill her for him, this theory makes the most sense. It fills in the gaps of
the doctor theory and has multiple witnesses to back it up.
Though it is not known for certain
what actually happened on Marilyn Monroe’s last night, it is safe to assume
that, just like the star herself, there was more than meets the eye.
Marilyn Monroe died as she lived:
mysteriously and with a bang. There are
many conspiracies surrounding the circumstances of her death, with three of
them being the following:
1.
Her doctors and housekeeper conspired to stage her suicide.
2.
The mafia put a hit on her to send a message.
3.
Robert Kennedy killed her to keep her from spilling sensitive
information.
It has been fifty-six years since
Marilyn Monroe’s “candle in the wind” was snuffed out, but whatever the truth
may be, her legend will continue to live on long after her death.
Works Cited
“About Marilyn Monroe.” Modern
American Poets, www.english.illinois.edu/maps/poets/g_l/grahn/monroe.htm.
Carter, Maria. “Joe DiMaggio Knew Who
Killed Marilyn Monroe, According to a New Book.” Country Living, Country
Living, 10 Apr. 2018, www.countryliving.com/life/entertainment/a43044/marilyn-monroe-joe-dimaggio/.
“Death of Marilyn Monroe: Killing the
Legend.” Theunredacted.com, Death of Marilyn Monroe, 3 Dec. 2016,
theunredacted.com/marilyn-monroe-killing-the-legend/.
Genova, Alexandra. “'She Was Volatile,
Unstable and Impulsive': Marilyn Monroe Most Likely Had Borderline Personality
Disorder, New Book Reveals.” Daily Mail Online, Associated Newspapers, 16 Feb.
2016,
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3448841/She-volatile-unstable-impulsive-Marilyn-Monroe-likely-borderline-personality-disorder-new-book-reveals.html.
Huntington, Monica. “Marilyn Monroe:
The Surprising Reality Behind the Hollywood Legend.” DirectExpose, 21 June
2018, www.directexpose.com/marilyn-monroe-reality-hollywood-legend/2/.
Kashner, Sam. “Marilyn and Her
Monsters.” Vanity Fair, Vanity Fair, 17 Nov. 2017,
www.vanityfair.com/culture/2010/11/marilyn-monroe-201011.
Mitchell, Jim. “4 Conspiracy Theories
about the Death of Marilyn Monroe.” Guide, SBS, 24 July
2017,www.sbs.com.au/guide/article/2017/07/24/4-conspiracy-theories-about-death-marilyn-monroe.
Rosenfield, Paul. “Leave the Kennedys
Out of It : MARILYN MONROE: The Biography, By Donald Spoto (HarperCollins: 611
Pp.).” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 1993,
articles.latimes.com/1993-05-02/books/bk-29911_1_marilyn-monroe.
“Why the Mafia Had to Murder Marilyn
Monroe.” World, 28 July 2002, www.scotsman.com/news/world/why-the-mafia-had-to-murder-marilyn-monroe-1-1375559.
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