The Met Gala is more than just a meeting of many celebrities for an evening out on the town. It is an event that is celebrated for many reasons, including what ends up on the red carpet.
People wear all sorts of unusual outfits to the Met Gala, regardless of whether they are dressing in their best clothes or if they are shocking the crowd with something unusual. There was also something that happened at the 2022 Met Gala that surprised many.
Kim Kardashian showed up on the red carpet in a dress that looked familiar. It should, because it is the ‘Happy Birthday Mr. President’ Marilyn Monroe dress that is very famous. Most people said that she wore it nicely, although she was accused of damaging it, even though she said that is untrue.
In order to fit in the dress, Kim Kardashian said that she had to go on a strict diet and she still struggled to be able to fit in it.
As it turns out, a lot of people are unhappy with the controversy surrounding it.
According to an interview with Vogue, she had dropped more than a stone before wearing the dress and that was within three weeks. She said that she ‘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’.
It’s easy to see why she lost so much weight, but people are unhappy that she did it in an unhealthy way.
She said: “I’m not trying to lose any more weight but I have more energy than ever. I cut out so much sugar, and a lot of junk food I was eating. I just completely changed my lifestyle.”
She went on to explain how it is similar to any celebrity that would lose weight for a part in the film. She said: “To me it was like: ‘OK, Christian Bale can do it for a movie role and that is acceptable’. Even Renée Zellweger gained weight for a role.
“It’s all the same to me. I wasn’t saying: ‘Hey everyone, why don’t you go lose this weight in a short period of time?’”
The big question is, did she really damage the dress while wearing it? Pictures from Scott Fortner, a collector who authenticates and verifies memorabilia from Monroe seem to show that there were stretched and buckled fabric and missing crystals on the back.
The owner of the dress, Ripley’s Believe It or Not said that ‘reat 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 … no alterations were to be made to the dress and Kim even changed into a replica after the red carpet!’
On the other hand, the International Council of Museums says that historic garments should not be worn by anyone, including public or private figures.
Ripley’s also released the following statement: “Kim Kardashian wearing the ‘Happy Birthday’ dress has been hotly contested, but the fact remains that she did not, in any way, damage the garment in the short amount of time it was worn at the Met Gala.”
Even the vice president of publishing and licensing from Ripley, Amanda Joyner, said: “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.”
The famous museum concluded: “A recent social media post asked, ‘Was it worth it?’ Kim Kardashian did not pay Ripley’s Believe It or Not! to wear the dress, nor did the company pay her. Rather, Kardashian made a charitable donation to two charities in the greater Orlando area on behalf of the dress.”
Kim Kardashian also had something to say about wearing the outfit.
“I’m extremely respectful to the dress and what it means to American history,” she said. “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.
“It was such a process. I showed up on the red carpet in a robe and slippers. I put the dress on on the bottom of the carpet, went up the stairs, I probably had it on for four minutes and then I changed right at the top of the stairs.”
When she was asked if she damaged it when she wore it, she said: “No. [Ripley’s and I] worked together so well. There were handlers wearing gloves that put it on me.”
Another controversy associated with wearing the dress is that Kim Kardashian said nobody knew who Marilyn Monroe was before she wore the gown. That brought out a lot of angry comments, including some who can’t believe she would say that.
In the end, Kim said: “I respect her and I understand how much this dress means to American history.
“With the theme being American, I thought what is more American than Marilyn Monroe singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to the President of the United States.”
