Content warning: This article mentions instances of d*ug abuse leading to death.
Marilyn Monroe was one of Hollywood’s most popular names. She became a central symbol of the sexual revolution of the 1950s and early 1960s. She died at 36 from a barbiturate overdose on Aug. 4, 1962. It happened at her home in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles.
According to Radar, Monroe struggled deeply with substance addiction and mental health issues. Her former husband, Arthur Miller, reportedly believed for many years that she would die young. This was based on documents released by the outlet.
Monroe was reportedly married three times. Her husbands were hometown love James Dougherty, baseball star Joe DiMaggio, and writer Arthur Miller. She divorced Miller in January 1961, a year before her death. The split was driven by her career struggles, prolonged d*ug addiction, and mental distress.
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Arthur Miller’s recordings came from conversations with Professor Christopher Bigsby. Bigsby was Miller’s friend and biographer. They reveal his heartbreaking memories of trying to help his wife during the final years of their marriage. These recordings were later compiled into a book called The Arthur Miller Tapes: A Life in His Own Words. Cambridge University Press published it.
Apart from her troubled marriages, reports claimed Monroe was involved in an infamous affair with the late president John F. Kennedy. The pair reportedly met four times, in October 1961 and August 1962. Media reports still claim a long affair lasted for decades. But some of Monroe’s former friends believed the relationship was brief. They said it may have been limited to a single encounter rather than a full relationship.
On May 19, 1962, Marilyn Monroe famously sang a sultry version of Happy Birthday for John F. Kennedy. The event was held ten days before his 45th birthday. The moment was one to remember, with Monroe’s stunning crystal-covered dress. Later, Jacqueline Kennedy reportedly issued an ultimatum that ended the affair.
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Miller, who died in 2005, described witnessing Monroe’s mental and physical decline firsthand in the tapes. He recalled one moment when he saw past his wife’s fragile mental state. He believed no one could save her from the “downward spiral” she was going through.
“So I felt she was in a very delicate psychological position. As it turned out, it took some years, but it happened. It was beyond my powers or anybody else’s to hold her back,” he said in the tapes.
Miller recalled how Monroe nearly overdosed. He had to call doctors to pump her stomach. It was the only way to save her from the pain of her disturbing mental state.
“It was impossible for her to live, let alone with anybody. You couldn’t go on with that intensity of life and those drugs and manage to survive,” the author said.
He also revealed how she thrived on reassurance. Meanwhile, he felt trapped in self-guilt and exhaustion from trying to support her.
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Miller claimed he sensed danger in the relationship long before things went sour. He admitted it took only months for him to realize the marriage was a mistake. The pair met in 1951 and began a whirlwind romance. They started an affair in 1955, while Miller was still married to Mary Slattery.
“I was not really prepared for what I should have been prepared for,” he said, talking about how Monroe had “literally no inner resources.” According to The Guardian, despite the devastating turmoil the actor suffered from before her death, the author showcased his love for her and spoke warmly of her in the recordings.
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Additionally, Miller lovingly claimed in the tapes that the Some Like It Hot actor was “delightful to be with” and “a very smart woman” with “a terrific sense of humor, irony and generosity.”
However, Arthur Miller also pointed out how paranoia increasingly consumed her. “She began to suspect everybody of exploiting or damaging her,” he said.
