Kim Kardashian made heads turn when she wore Marilyn Monroe's iconic "Happy Birthday, Mr. President" dress from 1962 at the 2022 Met Gala. Now, she's being accused of damaging the dress.
On Monday, Pop Crave shared a before and after photo of the dress on Twitter, which shows crystals missing and others hanging by a thread. The images also show signs of stretched fabric, particularly around the dress' back closure.
The post has sparked some strong reactions from netizens who accused Kardashian of running a historical artifact.
"They really let her ruin a historical artifact for an underwhelming look that wasn't even on-theme," wrote one user, while another commented, "leave it to kim to destroy a historical piece of art." One user even shared footage of the reality star struggling to fit into the iconic dress before the Met Gala.
Extreme Precautions Taken to Prevent Dress from Being Damaged
While the reality star's decision to don the "extremely fragile" gown at the Met had raised some eyebrows, Ripley's Believe It Or Not! Museum — which loaned the look to the star and is currently displaying the garment at its Hollywood location — previously claimed that precautions were taken to prevent any possible damage.
"This was no easy decision for Ripley's, however, Kim Kardashian has continued to show the utmost respect for this opportunity and historic garment," Ripley's said in a post-gala statement. "From extensive research to following guidelines such as no body makeup, only wearing the dress for the short red-carpet appearance, and making absolutely no alterations, she has become a steward — and added to — its history."
The Instagram post by the Marilyn Monroe Collection also noted the exhaustive efforts made by the Ripley's Believe It Or Not! Museum to preserve the gown, which included a security team to oversee Kim's every move and a representative who was allowed to pull the plug whenever they wished.
Kardashian Lost 16 Pounds to Fit into the Gown
The "Kardashians" star, 41, notably dropped 16 pounds ahead of the event in order to squeeze into the historic gown, and even changed into a replica once she got to the entrance of the party, as she was unable to move freely in the original.
"I'm extremely respectful to the dress and what it means to American history," she told Vogue ahead of the party. "I would never want to sit in it or eat in it or have any risk of any damage to it and I won't be wearing the kind of body makeup I usually do."
