A Marilyn Monroe collector has slammed Kim Kardashian after revealing the alleged damage she did to the Hollywood icon's gown by wearing it to 2022's Met Gala.
Kim made headlines around the world earlier this year when she walked the Met Gala red carpet in the exact same glittering gown that Marilyn wore to serenade President Kennedy in 1962.
Many were outraged that the reality TV star has been allowed to wear Marilyn's iconic garment - even if she did change out of it as soon as she'd finished posing for photos.
Now, collector Scott Fortner has taken to Instagram to reveal what he claims is damage allegedly caused by Kim after taking it for a brief whirl on the red carpet.
Sharing side-by-side snaps of the gown supposedly before and after it was re-worn, Fortner explained that there are now crystals missing and falling off the precious item.
"Just in case you missed it - missing crystals, and some left hanging by a thread," he wrote.
The collector went on to call out Ripley's Believe It or Not museum, who were in charge of loaning Kim the dress. "So much for keeping 'the integrity of the dress and the preservation.'@ripleysbelieveitornot, was it worth it?" he questioned.
Fortner is not the first Marilyn buff to take issue with Kim wearing the legendary beige garment. In the wake of the Gala, expert Michelle Morgan - author of The Girl: Marilyn Monroe, the Seven Year Itch, and the Birth of an Unlikely Feminist - told The New York Post that she was "extremely disappointed" to see the dress being worn in public.
"The gown is extremely fragile and has been previously kept in temperature-controlled conditions, but now here it is, not only being worn, but also in a red carpet environment, where anything could have happened to it," she said, adding that "sweat, perfume and makeup" could cause "untold damage and staining".
For their part, Ripley's defended their decision to loan Kim the gown in a May 2 press release.
"Great care was taken to preserve this piece of pop culture history. With input from garment conservationists, appraisers, and archivists, the garment’s condition was top priority," they said.
Additionally, Kim also revealed that she had to put herself on a strict diet if she wanted to fit into it.
"I would wear a sauna suit twice a day, run on the treadmill, completely cut out all sugar and all carbs, and just eat the cleanest veggies and protein," she told Vogue, adding: "I didn’t starve myself, but I was so strict."
Ultimately, The Kardashians star revealed that she shed 16 pounds in just three weeks.
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