Kim Kardashian recently made quite the splash with a statement that has the internet buzzing: she claimed that people didn’t know who Marilyn Monroe was before she stepped into Monroe’s iconic dress.

The Kardashians star chose to wear Monroe’s legendary ‘Happy Birthday Mr President’ dress at the 2022 Met Gala, an event that quickly became a talking point. And not all the talk was positive. Oh no, Kim faced a cascade of backlash that just kept on flowing.

After the event, critics accused the SKIMS mogul of potentially ruining the historic garment. Kim, however, was having none of it and firmly denied any damage. She was also criticized for the intense diet she adopted leading up to the red carpet appearance.

Now, she’s stirring the pot even more with her latest comments about the Hollywood legend who originally wore the dress.

Kardashian’s choice to don the dress came with a bundle of controversies…

For starters, it was revealed to Vogue that she lost more than a stone in just three weeks to fit into the dress. “I would wear a sauna suit twice a day, run on the treadmill, completely cut out all sugar and all carbs, and just eat the cleanest veggies and protein,” Kim confessed.

This drastic regime led many to call her out for promoting unhealthy weight loss practices.

Responding to the criticism, Kim said, “I’m not trying to lose any more weight but I have more energy than ever. I cut out so much sugar, and a lot of junk food I was eating. I just completely changed my lifestyle.” She also pointed out that actors often undergo similar transformations for roles.

According to her, Christian Bale and Renée Zellweger have done it, so why not Kim Kardashian?

While donning the dress, more controversies arose, particularly around whether she had damaged the dress itself. Some photographs taken by Scott Fortner, an authentic Monroe memorabilia collector, seemed to show stretched fabric and missing crystals.

However, Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, the owner of the dress, claimed “great care was taken to preserve this piece of pop culture history. With input from garment conservationists, appraisers, and archivists, the garment’s condition was top priority.” They even stated that Kim switched to a replica after the red carpet.

Ripley’s further emphasized, “Kim Kardashian wearing the ‘Happy Birthday’ dress has been hotly contested, but she did not damage the dress in the short amount of time it was worn at the Met Gala.”

Amanda Joiner, Ripley’s Vice President of Publishing and Licensing, assured everyone that, from the moment Kim put on the dress until she returned it, the dress remained in pristine condition.

Plus, Kardashian didn’t just borrow the dress for free or pay for the privilege. Instead, she made a charitable donation to two Orlando-based charities.

Defending her decision, Kim said, “I’m extremely respectful to the dress and what it means to American history. I would never want to sit in it, eat in it, or risk any damage to it, and I won’t be wearing the kind of body makeup I usually do.”

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

She maintained, “There were handlers wearing gloves that put it on me. No damage was done.”

But as if that controversy wasn’t enough, Kim has now sparked even more debate by claiming that many didn’t know who Marilyn Monroe was until she wore the dress.

Appearing on Today with Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb, Kim discussed how people seemed to rediscover Monroe thanks to her Met Gala appearance. She was initially on the show to promote her skincare line but found herself delving into more controversial territory.

Social media erupted. One user wrote, “Ain’t no way Kim Kardashian said many people didn’t know who Marilyn Monroe was until she wore her dress.” Another chimed in sarcastically, “The audacity of this.”

Others added, “Imagine having this much ego!” and “What a bubble she lives in, covered only with money. I just don’t know why people give her so much attention.”

To set the record straight, Marilyn Monroe wore the gown to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to President John F. Kennedy at Madison Square Garden in May 1962, just three months before her tragic death.

Kim clarified, “I respect her and I understand how much this dress means to American history. With the theme being ‘American’, I thought what is more American than Marilyn Monroe singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to the President of the United States?”

Concluding her thought, Kim noted, “It was the most shocking thing to me and that’s why I was so happy to at least have that opportunity and that Ripley’s gave me the opportunity to share this moment so that it could live on.”

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