Hollywood was shocked when the tall, handsome hero captured the heart of the most glamorous beauty of the industry. Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio were a perfect couple, but things were notoriously rocky between the pair right from the start, as they were for much of Marilyn’s short life. Joe’s career as the most famous member of the New York Yankees was winding down as Marilyn’s career as a blonde bombshell was gaining momentum. The couple’s marriage quickly ended just after nine months.
Monroe was a rising star, with credits on ‘Monkey Business ‘ and ‘Don’t Bother to Knock,’ and DiMaggio was a baseball player who had recently retired due to injuries. They met at Villa Nova, an Italian restaurant on Sunset Boulevard, on May 8, 1952, but DiMaggio wooed Marilyn over the summer. In a brief civil ceremony, the couple married at San Francisco City Hall on January 14, 1954.
Monroe and DiMaggio divorced in October 1954, after nine months of marriage. Monroe left her husband in Japan during their honeymoon to perform in Korea for the American troops, further irking DiMaggio with Monroe’s sexy image. A memorable fight on the set of Seven Year Itch over the infamous skirt-flying shot ended their relationship. DiMaggio described Monroe’s physical intimacy as epic. She accused DiMaggio as a cruel person and said he was ‘Cold and Indifferent.’
When we got together in the bedroom, it was like the gods were fighting; there were thunderclouds and lightning above us.
DiMaggio didn’t forget Monroe, and he was the one who arranged for her release from the psychiatric hospital and arranged for some rest and relaxation at the Yankees’ Florida spring training camp seven years later. They remained “good friends” until she passed away in 1962. DiMaggio never remarried and rarely spoke about Monroe during his life. Joe was her rock even after her marriage with playwright Arthur Miller ended. He even proposed to her one more time, asking her to marry him once more
Joe flew immediately from New York to California upon learning about Marilyn’s death on August 5, 1962, to identify her remains and plan the funeral. He ensured roses were delivered to her grave multiple times a week in the years that followed. When Joe died in 1999, his last words were,
I’ll finally get to see Marilyn.
