With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
X-Rays Proving Marilyn Monroe Had Plastic Surgery Sold For $25,600 At Auction
How much would you pay for weird celebrity memorabilia? At a recent sale at Julien's Auctions in Beverly Hills, someone paid $25,600 for Marilyn Monroe's medical records including X-rays, which proved the sultry Seven Year Itch star had a little help with her gorgeous facial features.
The records, which cover her medical history from 1950 to 1962, revealed the sex icon complained about a "chin deformity" to her doctor, resulting in a cartilage implant in her chin when she was 24. She also later had a "tip rhinoplasty," and the documents even detail her ectopic pregnancy in 1957, five years before her death.
However, that wasn't even the highest bid on auction items at the event. Monroe's Redbook Award from 1952 along with photos of the siren's visit with American soldiers during the Korean War went for $62,500, according to AFP.
These items were part of Julien's Auctions' "Icons and Idols: Hollywood" sale, including items from other celebrities such as Elizabeth Taylor, Julie Andrews, and Princess Diana. Those items weren't as grim as Monroe's.
At LAist, we focus on what matters to our community: clear, fair, and transparent reporting that helps you make decisions with confidence and keeps powerful institutions accountable.
Your support for independent local news is critical. With federal funding for public media gone, LAist faces a $1.7 million yearly shortfall. Speaking frankly, how much reader support we receive now will determine the strength of this reliable source of local information now and for years to come.
This work is only possible with community support. Every investigation, service guide, and story is made possible by people like you who believe that local news is a public good and that everyone deserves access to trustworthy local information.
That’s why we’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Thank you for understanding how essential it is to have an informed community and standing up for free press.
Your support for independent local news is critical. With federal funding for public media gone, LAist faces a $1.7 million yearly shortfall. Speaking frankly, how much reader support we receive now will determine the strength of this reliable source of local information now and for years to come.
This work is only possible with community support. Every investigation, service guide, and story is made possible by people like you who believe that local news is a public good and that everyone deserves access to trustworthy local information.
That’s why we’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Thank you for understanding how essential it is to have an informed community and standing up for free press.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
