Kim Kardashian had people physically squeeze her butt into Marilyn Monroe's dress because it didn't fit

5 May 2022, 20:59

Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson attend Met Gala

By Katie Louise Smith

Kim has been criticised by historians for wearing the dress to the Met Gala when it didn't fit her.

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By now, you'll have heard all about Kim Kardashian's Met Gala outfit. If not, a) where have you been? And b) here's a quick explainer...

Kim's 2022 Met Gala dress was the exact dress that Marilyn Monroe wore in 1962 when she sang 'Happy Birthday' to then-president John F. Kennedy. Marilyn is the only person who ever wore it and the dress reportedly hasn't been washed since that day. It was sold for a record-breaking $4.8 million at auction in 2016.

Kim borrowed the dress from Ripley's Believe It Or Not! to wear it on the 'Gilded glamour'-themed red carpet on May 2nd. But while she looked stunning in the dress, people have been quick to criticise Kim and Ripley's for allowing the delicate historical gown to be worn at the event.

Even more backlash is now mounting around that decision thanks to a new video that shows Kim struggling to squeeze her butt into the dress because it didn't quite fit her.

Kim Kardashian has to have help squashing her butt into Marilyn Monroe's dress. Picture: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue, Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for ABA

In a video from Ripley's shared by TMZ, Kim can be seen trying on the dress 10 days before the Met Gala, with handlers wearing white gloves as to not damage the fabric.

The dress is easily able to be pulled up over Kim's SKIMS-clad legs, but the team then start to struggle to get it over Kim's behind because the dress is simply not wide enough.

Kim is then told to "push her ass in," with Pete Davidson jumping in to help, as the team attempt to push the dress up. In one shot, you can see Kim's butt spilling over the back of the dress.

Eventually, the team manage to figure something out. The zip is left completely open over Kim's butt and the dress is tied at her lower back. Kim wore the dress unzipped on the carpet with a white draped coat covering the back.

On Instagram, Ripley's confirm that "no alterations were to be made to the dress," and that Kim changed into a replica immediately after walking the red carpet.

BTS of #KimKardashian as she tried on the Marilyn Monroe “Happy Birthday” dress for the #MetGala

While Kim had consultations with garment conservationists, appraisers, archivists, and insurance before it was agreed that she could wear it, the reaction to the video of her literally squeezing herself into the delicate 60-year-old gown has not been great.

Experts have also expressed their concern over Kim wearing the dress, despite her saying that she lost weight to be able to fit into it. Speaking to PEOPLE, Marilyn Monroe historian and collector Scott Fortner called Kim wearing the dress a "cause for concern."

"The dress was custom-made for Marilyn Monroe. It's not an off-the-rack garment," Scott told the publication. "When Marilyn knew she'd be performing at President John F. Kennedy's birthday gala she contacted Louis and said, 'I want you to design a truly historical dress, a dazzling dress that's one of a kind.' She asked that it be a dress that, 'only Marilyn Monroe could wear'."

Marilyn Monroe Singing "Happy Birthday" to JFK. Picture: Getty

He continued: "Marilyn stood nude as the fabric for the dress was literally sculpted to her body to precisely match every curve. The fabric, which is a flesh-colored soufflé gauze imported from France, was layered strategically so she wouldn't need to wear undergarments."

He adds that the dress fit Marilyn Monroe perfectly: "The gown worn by anyone else will not be a precise fit. In this case, Kim Kardashian's measurements are somewhat different than Marilyn's. It's logically assumed the fabric and seams were stressed."