Lock of Marilyn Monroe’s hair given to Kim Kardashian ahead of Met Gala was ‘fake’, expert claims
metro.co.ukKim Kardashian of the Some Like It Hot star was fake… and they appear to have proof.However, Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! museum, who were behind the surprise, have stressed that it is ‘authentic’.At this year’s Met Gala, Kim was – unsurprisingly – one of the biggest talking points of the fashion extravaganza after donning the iconic gown previously worn by Marilyn when she sang Happy Birthday to President John F Kennedy in 1962.Having also worn another dress from the late Gentlemen Prefer Blondes starlet for the afterparty, Kim was given a surprise gift from Ripley’s, when she was handed a silver box containing ‘an actual lock of Marilyn’s iconic platinum hair’.The museum, who lent the first Marilyn dress to Kim, originally said in a post published on its website that the lock of hair was cut off by her hairstylist Robert Champion shortly before her performance at Madison Square Garden for President Kennedy’s birthday.However, Scott Fortner, a Marilyn historian who runs the site The Marilyn Monroe Collection, debunked this statement on Instagram, explaining that it was Kenneth Battelle who cut and styled the cinema icon’s hair for the event.Titling the Instagram post: ‘News Alert: Marilyn Monroe Hair Gifted to Kardashian by Ripley’s is Fake,’ he wrote: ‘News Flash: Robert Champion did not cut and style Marilyn’s hair for the JFK gala.
It was actually the one and only “Mr. Kenneth” (Kenneth Battelle) who had the honors.‘Battelle is responsible for Marilyn’s famous hairstyle from that night, as documented by a receipt from Lilly Dache Beauty Salon (see photo).
The receipt, dated May 25, 1962 list a “Hair Dress” and references May 18 and 19, 1962.‘May 19th was the date of the Kennedy gala.
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