‘She did not damage the garment’: Owner of Marilyn Monroe dress denies Kim Kardashian damaged it

She was accused of ruining Marilyn Monroe’s dress at the Met Gala. Now, Ripley’s has responded to claims levelled against Kim Kardashian.

The owner of Marilyn Monroe’s dress has denied allegations Kim Kardashian damaged it when she wore it to the Met Gala.

The reality TV star sported the $US10 million ($A14.4 million) dress to the Anna Wintour-hosted ball in New York last month.

This week, a series of photos went viral showing alleged damage to the iconic Hollywood garment after Kardashian, 41, wore it.

But the dress’s owner, Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, insists Kardashian “did not … damage the garment”.
In a statement to E!, Ripley’s said: “She did not, in any way, damage the garment in the short amount of time it was worn at the Met Gala”.

Amanda Joiner, Vice President of Publishing and Licensing as Ripley’s, added: “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”.

Kim Kardashian has been accused of damaging Marilyn Monroe’s dress – a claim its owner, Ripley’s, has denied. Picture: Getty Images

The Kardashians star has not responded to the allegations. Picture: Getty Images

The dress is owned by Ripley’s, where it is displayed at its museum in Florida, purchased from its previous owner for $US4.8 million at a Julien’s auction in 2016.

A quality report at the time stated that the dress had 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,” the report stated, according to E!.

Kardashian has not responded to the allegations.

At the Met Gala, Kardashian said she had been “extremely respectful to the dress and what it means to American history” and that she “had to practice walking up the stairs” so as not to damage it, E! reported.

Marilyn Monroe’s Happy Birthday dress worn by Kim Kardashian appears to be missing some gems. Picture: Instagram

Pictures showing damage to the dress after it was worn by Kim Kardashian. Picture: Instagram

The dress, which was custom-made by Bob Mackie, was worn by Monroe in 1962, when she sang “Happy Birthday” to then-President John F Kennedy.

Scott Fortner, of the Marilyn Monroe Collection, accused Kardashian of damaging the garment, a claim also backed by influential Instagram account, Diet Prada.

The form-fitting evening gown is adorned with 2500 rhinestones, some of which have been lost, according to Fortner. Mackie said, at the time, that allowing Kardashian to wear the dress was a “big mistake”.

“It was designed for her (Marilyn),” Mackie said. “Nobody else should be seen in that dress.”

Kardashian was also criticised for revealing she lost a dramatic amount of weight to fit into Monroe’s dress.

“I always thought [Marilyn] was extremely curvy. I imagined I might be smaller in some places where she was bigger and bigger in places where she was smaller,” Kardashian told Vogue. “So when it didn’t fit me I wanted to cry because it can’t be altered at all.”

Originally published as ‘She did not damage the garment’: Owner of Marilyn Monroe dress denies Kim Kardashian damaged it