Sadly, some of history's most creative and inspiring individuals tend to be those who also suffered the most pain.
No one embodies this more than one of our most beloved entertainment icons: Marilyn Monroe. The heartbreaking facts surrounding her sudden passing in 1962 have been well publicized, but it's what happened in the years leading up to that evening she spent locked in her room that really tells how she could have ended up in such a sorry state.
Starting from when Marilyn was just an infant, she was surrounded by confusion, frustration, and anguish from those closest to her. I have always loved watching her in classic films like Some Like It Hot and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, but I had no idea just how much gloom was hiding behind that beautiful face.
Did we miss a tear-jerking part of her life that most people don't know about? Let us know in the comments and be sure to SHARE with your loved ones.
1. She Never Knew Her Father
Though she commonly went by Norma Jean Baker as a child, Baker was the name of her mother's previous husband and the two half-siblings she did not know about until she was 12 years old.
Her mother Gladys remarried a man named Martin Edward Mortensen, but they were separated when she became pregnant with Marilyn.
2. She Was A Ward Of The State
Her mother was not mentally or financially prepared to raise a daughter on her own, eventually diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, so Marilyn was bounced around between orphanages, foster parents, family members, and friends of Gladys.
Already shy and withdrawn, she suffered abuse from several of the male figures in her life at a very young age, something that only caused her to become more introverted and anxious.
3. She Got Married At 17
While staying with Doc and Grace Goddard, friends of Gladys, Doc's company transferred him across the country, but it was against California state law for Marilyn to be moved as a minor.
Their solution: marrying her to their 21-year-old neighbor and friend, James Dougherty. Though they weren't especially unhappy in their marriage, he was against her aims at show business and she left him after signing her first modeling contract.
4. She Was Devastated By The Death Of Her First Mentor
Just when her career was starting to finally pick up in 1950, her agent and mentor Johnny Hyde, vice president of the William Morris Agency, died suddenly of a heart attack just days after securing a seven-year contract for her.
5. She Suffered Extreme Stage Fright
Marilyn's reputation as a difficult actress stemmed from a lifelong battle with stage fright, combined with her low self-esteem and perfectionism. She was also afflicted by severe anxiety and insomnia, which led to her substance abuse issues.
6. Her Most Iconic Moment Ended Her Second Marriage
Baseball star Joe DiMaggio was prone to irate bouts of jealousy, something that really doesn't mix with being married to the world's most famous blonde bombshell. After seeing the infamous photos of Marilyn's dress flying in the air for The Seven Year Itch, their marriage was over.
They later rekindled their friendship just before her death, with DiMaggio taking care of all the arrangements for her funeral and resting place.
7. She Was Ridiculed For Standing Up For Herself
Determined to break out of her sexpot typecasting, Marilyn endured several lengthy battles with her production company over the films she worked on. She went so far as to create her own company, Marilyn Monroe Productions, which was immediately lampooned by the press.
8. She Longed To Have Children Of Her Own
Sadly, Marilyn had a lifelong battle with endometriosis, which caused at least four miscarriages throughout her life, including an ectopic pregnancy.
9. Romantic Loss Overshadowed Her Work
After her marriage to Arthur Miller disintegrated, she was still forced to not only work with him on the film The Misfits, but to watch as he began a new relationship in front of her. She also felt that he purposely wrote her role to be less compelling than those of the male actors surrounding her.
10. Illness Kept Her From Completing Her Last Film
Studio heads knew Marilyn was diagnosed with a case of sinusitis and in need of bed rest and medical attention, but spread rumors accusing her of "faking it" when they began to fear they would go over budget for the unfinished Something's Got to Give.
They fired her and sued her for $750,000 in damages, but at co-star Dean Martin's insistence, they eventually attempted to resume filming before her untimely death.
Did we miss one of the lesser-known, bittersweet tales about this beautiful woman? Let us know in the comments below and make sure to SHARE with your loved ones.
