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In a society obsessed with celebrity culture, the rumoured relationship between actress Marilyn Monroe and former American President John F. Kennedy has long been the idée fixe for many.
Despite the alleged affair taking place over half-a-century ago, Netflix’s film Blonde brought it back into the spotlight with a liberal recounting of exactly what went on between this infamous pair and introduced a whole new generation to the mystique of their courtship.
Many of you will be familiar with the story, but for those who aren’t across the finer details allow us to recap one of the best-kept secrets in Hollywood.
While there is speculation around the exact date the pair met, historians verify that JFK met Marilyn for the first time in 1954 when they were introduced by ‘Rat Pack’ actor Peter Lawson, JFK’s brother-in-law. This was almost a decade prior to her infamously sensual ‘Happy Birthday’ rendition for the President.
Many people who have speculated about an affair between Marilyn Monroe and President JFK believe it began in early 1962, when they were both staying in Bing Crosby’s house in Palm Springs. Then, Marilyn supposedly seduced JFK at a birthday gala held in his honour in May 1962.
The image of Marilyn, bona fide blonde bombshell and sex symbol, wishing a President notorious for his alleged extramarital affairs a happy birthday wasn’t lost on the press at the time. It was this moment that catapulted their courtship into the cultural zeitgeist, mere months before Marilyn’s tragic death.
Since then, we’ve seen many versions of ‘Happy Birthday’ that play on the sensuality of that moment. There have also been plenty of film and series depicting a relationship between the Hollywood icon and President whose time was also tragically cut short.
For instance, Blonde alludes to a supposed relationship with a darker side. The film depicts an alleged incident where JFK coerces a drunken Marilyn into performing oral sex on him.
This account led many people to ask whether this supposed event was fact or fiction. Here, everything to know about the rumoured relationship between Marilyn Monroe and John F. Kennedy.
What happened between Marilyn Monroe And President John F. Kennedy?
History tells us that Marilyn Monroe and John F. Kennedy met in 1954 and remained cordial for almost a decade.
Biographer James Spada reports that JFK “passed her off to his brother”, Robert F. Kennedy (aka Bobby) when he “grew tired” of her, before adding “it was pretty clear that Marilyn had had sexual relations with both Bobby and Jack”.
The incident at Bing Crosby’s house in Palm Springs is also subject to speculation, as there are many second-hand accounts of various individuals who are said to have seen Marilyn and JFK together.
In a 2001 biography by Donald Spoto, Marilyn’s masseur Ralph Roberts claims to have spoken to both JFK and Marilyn on a phone call when she rang to ask for advice on giving a massage.
Susan Strasberg, the daughter of Marilyn’s acting coach Lee Strasberg, also affirmed the affair. She claims that JFK invited the actress to perform at his birthday gala on the same night they were in Palm Springs together.
“It was O.K. to sleep with a charismatic president. Marilyn loved the secrecy and the drama of it, but Kennedy was not the kind of man she wanted to spend her life with, and she made that very clear,” Susan said in Spoto’s book.
Fast forward a few months to May of 1962 and Marilyn took the stage in a nearly-naked Bob Mackie dress (which Kim Kardashian wore to the Met Gala in 2022), for a performance that would be burned into many’s memories for years to come thanks to it’s sexual undertones (perceived or otherwise).
Following the performance, JFK thanked Marilyn, stating “I can now retire from politics after having Happy Birthday sung to me in such a sweet and wholesome way”.
According to a 2013 book by Christopher Andersen, Marilyn had even called Jackie Kennedy around this time to tell her that she was planning on accepting JFK’s proposal of marriage—though there is no further evidence to suggest JFK did plan on making Monroe his second wife.
Jackie’s alleged response? “Marilyn, you’ll marry Jack, that’s great… and you’ll move into the White House and you’ll assume the responsibilities of first lady, and I’ll move out and you’ll have all the problems.”
Further adding to the salacious nature of the affair is the suggestion that Marilyn was also involved with JFK’s brother, Bobby.
However, some 60 years on, there is no substantial evidence to account for any of these allegations, so their relationship will always be a matter of speculation and cannon fodder for Hollywood adaptations.
Did That JFK Scene In ‘Blonde’ Really Happen?
Simply put, there is no concrete evidence to suggest that Marilyn Monroe and JFK engaged in an affair, especially one that resulted in the President sexually assaulting the actress.
One of the most controversial scenes in Blonde, which we won’t go into detail about, suggests that JFK sexually violated a drunken Marilyn. Keep in mind that the film is based on a fictional retelling of Marilyn’s life, so this may not have happened at all in reality.
However, that’s not to say that Marilyn and JFK never had an affair.
In the 1969 book, Norma Jeane: The Life of Marilyn Monroe, author Fred Lawrence suggests that Monroe had an abortion a month before her sudden death, implying that she was pregnant with JFK’s child. There is no solid evidence to verify this claim.
But as history has proven, Monroe and JFK’s relationship will always be subject to public interest and speculation. Both of them were sensual in their own way, and idolised by people.
Given that both Monroe and JFK are deceased, it’s very likely that we will never know the truth about what happened between the pair. It may even be the mystery of it that keeps us coming back to the affair rumours. That, and every Hollywood retelling of Marilyn or JFK’s life.
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