The Gist
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Marilyn Monroe used her media finesse to avoid what could have been a career-ending scandal in 1952, a historian claims.
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In a new interview with People, David Willis said rumors that Monroe had a nude calendar photoshoot “sent Twentieth Century-Fox executives into a panic.”
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The Seven Year Itch actress took an unexpected approach to defuse the situation.
As fans celebrate what would have been Marilyn Monroe’s 100th birthday, experts are looking back at how the Some Like It Hot actress crafted a public persona that continues to fascinate the public almost 64 years after her death. In a new interview, one historian reflected on how the media-savvy star worked with the press to control her narrative—including during what could have been a career-ending scandal in 1952, which involved nude photos she’d taken years prior.
Marilyn Monroe filming during the ‘Seven Year Itch’ on September 16, 1954.
Credit: Getty Images
Chatting with People as part of the release of Marilyn Monroe 100: The Official Centenary Publication, David Willis opened up about how Monroe used her charm to navigate public relations even early on in her career. “In her ‘starlet’ days, she achieved most of her publicity herself—casually courting reporters and press photographers, becoming friendly with them over time,” he said.
Marilyn Monroe photographed in 1953.
Credit: Getty Images
Monroe used these skills to derail a “nude calendar scandal” in 1952, which Willis claimed “sent Twentieth Century-Fox executives into a panic and threatened to end her career just as it was about to skyrocket.” As rumors began swirling that Monroe had shot nude photos, the star used a mix of “strategic honesty and light manipulation” to share her side of the story.
Marilyn Monroe surrounded by journalists and fans outside Grauman’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood, California in 1953
Credit: Getty Images
“Instead of hiding or denying it, as studio bosses insisted she do, Marilyn collaborated with journalist Aline Mosby and essentially broke the story herself,” Willis recalled, referring to their article “Marilyn Monroe Admits She Is Girl on Calendar.”
“She explained that she was broke and hungry when she posed for the calendar photo in 1949 and declared, ‘I’m not ashamed of it. I’ve done nothing wrong,’” Willis said about Monroe’s strategy. “This masterful move allowed Marilyn to control the narrative, and she won the PR battle before it had a chance to take hold.”
In a turn of events, what could have been a moment of shame ended up winning over the public. “Her bold honesty humanized her, won public sympathy, and therefore only enhanced her popularity,” Willis explained.
Read the original article on InStyle
