Kim Kardashian Addresses Marilyn Monroe Dress Controversy

Kim Kardashian has addressed rumors that she damaged the iconic Marilyn Monroe dress she wore for less than five minutes at the Met Gala last month. The reality star and beauty mogul, 41, dispelled the online chatter about missing crystals and damaged threads after she wore the dress.

“No, and Ripley’s, we worked together so well,” she said on TODAY. “There were handlers in gloves that put it on me.”

Kardashian noted that she only had the dress on for a short period on the red carpet as she posed for photos alongside boyfriend Pete Davidson.

“It was such a process,” she said. “I showed up to the red carpet in a robe and slippers, and I put the dress on at the bottom of the carpet, went up the stairs. I probably had it on for three minutes, four minutes, and then I changed right at the top of the stairs.”

Monroe famously wore the dress while serenading President John F. Kennedy with “Happy Birthday” at a 1962 fundraiser. Kardashian felt it was a perfect choice for a Met Gala that had a theme of “Gilded Glamour.”

“I respect her,” she said about Monroe. “I understand how much this dress means to American history, and with the theme being American, I thought, ‘What is more American than Marilyn Monroe singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to the president of the United States?'”

Earlier this month, Marilyn Monroe historian Scott Fortner, who oversees the Marilyn Monroe Collection, posted what appeared to be before-and-after photos of the dress on Instagram, writing that Kardashian had damaged it. “Without question, the damage is significant,” Fortner wrote.

However, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! officials denied any claims that the dress, valued at $10 million, was wrecked.

“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 vice president of publishing and licensing, said in a statement.

Kardashian also revealed she lost 16 pounds in order to fit into the gown.

“I looked at it like a role, and I really wanted to wear this dress,” she said. “It was really important to me. It actually taught me a lot about my lifestyle and my health.”

“Since then, afterwards, I continued to eat really healthy. I’m down 21 pounds now. I’m not trying to lose any more weight, but I have more energy than ever. I cut out so much sugar, a lot of junk food I was eating, I didn’t even realize, a lot of fried foods, and I just completely changed my lifestyle.” ng 16 lbs) I looked at it like a role, and I really wanted to wear this dress. It was really important to me. It actually taught me a lot about my lifestyle and health. Since then, afterwards I continued to eat really healthy. I’m down 21 pounds now. I’m not trying to lose any more weight, but I have more energy than ever. I cut out so much sugar, a lot of junk food I was eating. I didn’t even realize that a lot of fried foods, and I just completely changed my lifestyle.