Kim Kardashian Didn't Damage Iconic Marilyn Dress, Says Ripley's Museum

In the recently-held Met Gala 2022, American model-turned-reality TV star Kim Kardashian wore an iconic skintight gown once owned by the late Hollywood actress-singer Marilyn Monroe, which she wore in 1962 while singing "Happy Birthday" to President John F. Kennedy.

Kim Kardashian sparked fresh controversy after she was accused of damaging the iconic gown of the late Hollywood star Marilyn Monroe, which she wore at the 2022 Met Gala in May. However, the latest reports claimed that Kardashian didn't cause any damage to the gown.

Before and after pictures of the dress, allegedly showing the damage, went viral on social media, prompting a representative of Ripley's 'Believe It or Not!', who bought the dress for $4.8 million in 2016, to come out and defend Kardashian.

"A report written on the dress's condition in early 2017 states, '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,' among other instances of damage," a representative of the Ripley Museum told TMZ.

"Clearly, the 'before' photo was taken before Ripley's even acquired the piece," the representative said.

The representative told the media outlet that since the purchase of the dress, Ripley's has displayed it around the world; a process that has also put the dress at risk of potential damage.

Amanda Joiner, Ripley's VP of Publishing and Licensing -- who was with Kardashian and the dress the entire day of The Met -- says, "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."

Initially, Kardashian was denied permission by Ripley's to wear the dress. She got the permission only after losing 16 pounds (more than 7 kg) to fit into the vintage outfit.

Kardashian, who was also gifted Marilyn's hair for the Met Gala event, was also accused of wearing fake hair. That claim too has been debunked, as per TMZ.