The Hand-Written Note From Marilyn Monroe That Joe DiMaggio Carried For Ages
In her brief lifetime, the larger-than-life Marilyn Monroe was married three times. In 1952, Monroe was introduced to her future husband, Joe DiMaggio. DiMaggio was not just another man swooning for Monroe; he was one of the biggest names in baseball, playing for the New York Yankees in the '30s, '40s, and early '50s. In January 1954, they made their union official and married at San Francisco City Hall. Monroe and DiMaggio's marriage was anything but perfect, as the two fought constantly. Nevertheless, a note discovered in DiMaggio's wallet proves that Monroe wasn't afraid to be the first to apologize.
Per Page Six, the note stated, "Dear Joe, I know I was wrong! I acted the way I did and said the things I did because I was hurt — not because I meant them — and it was stupid of me to be hurt because actually there wasn't enough reason — in fact no reason at all." Monroe ended the note by writing, "Please accept my apology and don't, don't, don't, don't be angry with your baby — she loves you. Lovingly, your wife (for life) Mrs. J.P. DiMaggio."
The note, which was auctioned off by Christie's in 2020 for $425,000, was so worn down it had split into four parts. It was written on the back of a dry cleaning receipt in 1954, the same year the couple married and divorced.
Why Marilyn Monroe divorced Joe DiMaggio
During their brief time together, Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio had a stormy relationship. DiMaggio was said to be abusive towards Monroe, and unhappy that her fame meant he had to share her with the rest of the world. In October 1954, the world-famous couple called it quits after 10 months of marriage. In court, Monroe cried as she revealed that DiMaggio would give her the cold shoulder for days at a time and that he isolated her.
Monroe wrote "mental cruelty" as the reason behind the split in her divorce paperwork. DiMaggio did not take their breakup well and wrote a letter to Monroe, hoping they could reconcile their differences. Like Monroe's apology note, this letter was later sold at auction.
It said (via KQED), "I love you and want to be with you ... There is nothing I would like better than to restore your confidence in me ... My heart split even wider seeing you cry in front of all those people." Before adding, "Don't know what your thoughts are about me, but I can tell you I love you sincerely — way deep in my heart, irregardless of anything." In the end, this letter did not work in DiMaggio's favor and Monroe married playwright Arthur Miller in 1956.
Joe DiMaggio sent roses to Marilyn Monroe's grave for years
Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe became friends towards the end of her life after she divorced Arthur Miller. When Monroe died on August 5, 1962, DiMaggio made arrangements for her funeral. He also made sure her grave had fresh roses until 1982. DiMaggio, an incredibly private person, stopped sending the roses because the media got wind that he was doing so.
Monroe's friend, Brad Dexter, said that the roses were more than just a romantic gesture for his ex-wife, per PBS. Dexter explained, "He was still in love with her, but also [did it] out of a great sense of guilt. Because I think he helped contribute to her demise. I'm firmly convinced that if he had behaved differently, they would have had a good marriage. He destroyed it — and he felt that guilt."
DiMaggio and Monroe remain one of Hollywood's most legendary couples. Since his 1999 death from lung cancer, several items pertaining to DiMaggio and Monroe's romance have been auctioned off for thousands of dollars. Besides Monroe's tattered apology and DiMaggio's love letter, their marriage license was sold for over $122,000 in 2017. A photo of Monroe on the set of "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" that she signed, "I love you Joe, Marilyn," made $300,000 in 2022.