It was 1949, when a newly minted, unknown and unemployed model/actress named Marilyn Monroe agreed to be photographed by famed photographer Bruno Bernard at The Palm Springs Racquet Club. Dressed in a bikini and cork high heeled shoes, Marilyn was effervescent, remarkable and curvy in all the right places. Johnny Hyde, a veteran Hollywood talent agent at William Morris Agency, strolled by and stopped in his tracks. Johnny not only saw her undeniable beauty, but all of the unrealized potential she possessed. Marilyn exuded a determination to succeed that only comes from very few handouts in life. Marilyn, formerly known as Norma Jeane Baker had been born to an unwed, unfit mother, who was currently a diagnosed schizophrenic residing in a mental institution. Marilyn spent the majority of her life tossed between foster homes, and was ultimately married off to a neighbor’s son at the tender age of 16. If she learned anything over the years, it was how to be a survivor. Marilyn created her own opportunities, used every asset god gave her and relied on no one but herself. Now 22, this beautiful un-attached waif looked every bit the young starlet, a far cry from the desperate climb that got her where she was today. With the right break, Marilyn knew she could achieve her dream of becoming a famous movie star and leave her broken childhood far behind. Johnny had an abundance of resources and a great eye for talent. He took Marilyn in and began molding his muse. He enrolled her in The William Morris “Mailroom” - a finishing school of sorts for new recruits. He squired her around and showed her a lifestyle that was possible if she took his advice and worked hard. Marilyn devoured the world as Johnny presented it. She was much smarter than her looks let on and it wasn’t long before Johnny introduced Marilyn Monroe to Allen Dulles, a young intelligence coordinator for the CIA. Johnny’s eye for talent went beyond Hollywood and he knew Marilyn was special. Russian spies had infiltrated the entertainment industry and everyone was increasingly concerned of a Second Red Scare.  Movie executives had started a Hollywood Blacklist to condemn writers and producers creating anything that remotely intimated soviet influence. Recruiting young pretty starlets to gather information and penetrate social circles was the CIA’s best first defense and Johnny kept his eye out for prime candidates. Marilyn was eager to launch her career and was willing to do anything to guarantee her future as a star. She was promised a fast track on her career and the best grooming in Hollywood: dance lessons, voice lessons, movement classes and the art of seduction, daily reading and a little cosmetic modification perfected her look. Marilyn didn’t hesitate and quickly signed up for a double life of fame and espionage. She was a devoted student and with Johnny’s help, she was soon promoted as Hollywood’s newest talent. Her star soared and she landed small parts in a series of movies that moved her up the ladder. At the same time, Marilyn was making the rounds and was introduced to Hollywood elite, many were communist sympathizers. By the time “Asphalt Jungle” and “All About Eve” were released in 1950, Johnny’s health had started to fail and he was dead by year end. At this time, Elia Kazan, who was on his way to becoming one of the most influential directors in history, swooped in and took Marilyn “under his wing”. Kazan had met Marilyn when she was with Johnny and, although married, he also loved the company of young beautiful women. The CIA closely monitored the situation and was delighted with the relationship as Elia Kazan had been under surveillance for some time for his left-wing communist beliefs. Marilyn was perfectly positioned as she dazzled Kazan and expanded her social network. Marilyn kept her eyes open, took notes and turned over information on a regular basis. The ‘Agency” was pleased with her work. As promised, when she wasn’t working in film, Marilyn continued to be photographed as a model, further propelling her image and career. She graced the covers of GALA, Photo, VUE and EYE magazines. In 1951 she was finally signed by Fox Studios to a seven year deal that Johnny Hyde had spent a year negotiating. Marilyn was awarded her first major role in “Don’t Bother to Knock”.

In less than three years, Marilyn Monroe starred in a feature film, graced the covers of nearly 30 magazines, and was presented with “The Best Young Box Office Personality” by the Henrietta Awards. The CIA was quite pleased with the work she had put in and was ready to implement Phase II of their starlet’s image: a high-profile, all-American romance. By connecting a few dots, Marilyn was introduced to Joe DiMaggio, baseball legend and all-American hero. While Joe thought he was the pursuer, Marilyn was already briefed on the meeting. What Marilyn thought would be a difficult pairing, turned out to be very easy assignment as Joe was kind and quite smitten with her. They found a common ground with fame and public adoration. While Marilyn knew nothing about baseball, she appreciated how people respected Joe and what a traditional gentleman he was. Joe knew nothing about Marilyn except that she was beautiful. He perceived her as vulnerable and naive and felt a strong desire to protect her. He had no way of knowing that Marilyn was firmly in control of her life and destiny. Marilyn’s popularity continued to climb and in 1952, she landed films “Niagara”, “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes”, “How to Marry A Millionaire”, and “River of No Return”. These were not necessarily the roles she aspired for, but she remained optimistic that her star would rise to more serious parts. In the meantime, Marilyn was promoted to international intelligence officer when her talents expanded beyond Hollywood with a visit by King Paul and Queen Frederika of Hanover to the Fox Studios. With tensions arising around the anticommunist movement, much of the conversation centered upon Britain and Greece and the problem in Cyprus. Marilyn assured King Paul that the U.S. would support Britain to avoid any potential conflict with Turkey and NATO. She then proceeded to talk to the King and Queen of Hanover about her role as the dumb blonde in her two upcoming films “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” and “How to Marry a Millionaire”. They were delighted with her sense of humor and obvious intelligence. Allen Dulles, who was just became the Director of the CIA, took notice of his intriguing asset.

After some prompting, Marilyn hinted to Joe DiMaggio that she would finally like to be married. The caveat: she absolutely would not give up her acting career, but would be a good, devoted wife to him. And so, after a two years of courtship, Joe and Marilyn married in a courthouse wedding in San Francisco on January 14, 1954. Joe had an upcoming business trip to Japan scheduled and their honeymoon was folded into a tremendous public relations opportunity. Director Dulles diverted Marilyn to Korea where she boosted the moral of the armed forces. President Truman knew that these young men had felt forgotten and the “Agency” extended her visit into a whirlwind four day campaign around American military bases. Marilyn solidified her place in history as America’s sex symbol. She was later awarded the American Legion Award for her work in Korea. Her popularity soared around the world. Joe, who was never aware of her double life, could not understand why she still craved a life in the public eye. Marilyn signed on for two more films “There’s No Business Like Show Business” and “The Seven Year Itch”.  She and Joe stayed busy with their own careers, and enjoyed their quiet time together, but Marilyn sensed a change in Joe’s willingness to accept her career and status in the public eye. Meanwhile, the CIA made a strategic decision that they could not afford any setbacks with Marilyn and she was sent to Cedars Lebanon so doctors could insert a Grafenburg ring (IUD) to prevent any pregnancies. Around this time Marilyn was introduced to Milton Greene, an established young photographer. She genuinely liked Milton and found him to have big ideas. She considered him and his wife Amy friends, and as they lived primarily in Connecticut, she was happy to spend time with them when she was visiting New York City. The Greenes and DiMaggios spent a good bit time together in New York. It was no surprise that the Greenes showed up on set during the shooting of “The Seven Year Itch”. Marilyn was filming on Lexington Avenue a scene over a subway grate which blew her skirt up to her waist. Amy witnessed first-hand Joe’s rage escalate as Marilyn’s skirt blew higher and higher. With each take, the men cheered louder and louder. Marilyn loved the attention and Joe stormed off. While he knew fame, Joe was not prepared for how the public responded to his wife. That night at the hotel, Joe lost his temper and they engaged in an awful fight filled with screaming and ultimatums. Marilyn had her sights set and wasn’t going to bend. She hired a lawyer and the divorce was announced after only 9 months of marriage.  

Quickly after her divorce, Marilyn relocated to New York. The creation of Marilyn Monroe Productions with Milton Greene was a public relations move to deflect any negative fall out from her divorce. Marilyn didn’t need public sympathy and wanted to demonstrate that she was in control of her career. She severed her contract with Fox. Still working as an intelligence informant, Marilyn enrolled in acting classes at the well-known Actor’s Studio with Lee Strasberg. Strasberg had been hand-picked by Elia Kazan to run the studio several years prior and Lee’s wife Paula had been a confirmed member of the American Communist Party. The House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) was still weeding out left-wing conspirators and had interest in New York, where literati were using their craft to spread misinformation. At the same time, the CIA was looking at another type of organization, that of organized crime. So while Marilyn genuinely liked the Strasberg’s very much, she spent a great deal of time getting to know them and their friends. Marilyn was feted around New York City and spent her first few months with the Greene’s, Strasbergs, Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra (both with known connections to the mafia), Tennessee Williams, Carson McCullers and Truman Capote. She was now connected on both coasts.  

A new opportunity presented itself to Marilyn when she reconnected with Arthur Miller, the celebrated playwright and essayist, who raised political eyebrows with his play The Crucible, which was perceived as a direct attack on McCarthyism. Marilyn also befriended Arthur’s friends Norman Rosten (a poet and playwright) and his wife Hedda. She began to study Russian culture - a shared interest they all had. Soon, the FBI flagged Marilyn Monroe as a Communist sympathizer and began surveilling her every move. They never learned of her involvement with the CIA, and Marilyn was flattered to know she had even fooled the FBI with her exceptional acting and infiltration of the known Un-American community. By the end of the year, Marilyn was in full control of her career, she had renegotiated a favorable contract with Fox and promoted her woman-owned Marilyn Monroe Productions. She was handsomely paid out by the studio for completed projects and the monetary bonus she received from Fox allowed her to purchase the rights to “The Sleeping Prince” which would become known as “The Prince and The Showgirl”. Marilyn and Arthur Miller took up an affair.

Marilyn kicked off the year shooting “Bus Stop” the first movie she approved on her own. She felt empowered and confident in both the ownership of her public career and that of her under cover operation. “Bus Stop” wrapped in Los Angeles around the time an impromptu reception for President Sukarno of Indonesia was organized at the studios. Marilyn was aware of the threat of communism growing in Eastern Europe and China and that the U.S. sought to hamper communism in Indonesia to protect their international trade routes. Marilyn attended the event and sidled up to President Sukarno, by the end of the reception, Indonesia had secretly recommitted their natural resources and oil supplies to the United States. If Director Dulles wasn’t convinced before now, he fully understood the value of his secret weapon.

Marilyn and Arthur finalized their respective divorces and in June 1956, Arthur Miller made a very political and personal overture. When he was subpoenaed to testify in front of HUAC in Washington, DC, Arthur refused to answer any questions. He was found in contempt and when holding an interview outside of the courtroom, he deflected any guilt or suspicion by announcing he and Marilyn were getting married. In her research, Marilyn had not found any current communist ties to Arthur and was intrigued by the idea. She loved his plays and his mind and his intellectual friends. She thought he might write something smart and wonderful for her to star in. Marilyn and Arthur married the following month in a civil and Jewish ceremony. Arthur was granted only a 6 month passport for England and was requested to appear again in front of Congress upon his return. They arrived in London on July 14th with Milton Greene to film “The Prince and the Showgirl”. Whatever Arthur thought he might get out of this union, was quickly extinguished. This sex kitten was all business. Marilyn worked closely with Milton and her co-star, Laurence Olivier on the film. She was keeping tabs on things back home with President Eisenhower and her hours were erratic. Arthur felt constantly distracted and unable to produce any real writing. He was disappointed Marilyn didn’t support him more and embarrassed that his friends seemingly liked her more than him these days. Since his divorce, he was out of money and had become mostly dependent on Marilyn’s income. Emasculated and unable to work, Arthur left the U.K. for New York to find inspiration. Instead, when he returned to London in September, Arthur began trying to control Marilyn’s life. Marilyn hardly noticed as she was focused on a very important assignment. On October 29th, Marilyn attended to the Royal Film Performance of “The Battle of the River Plate” as an invited guest of Queen Elizabeth II. Marilyn strategically chose a beautiful lame gown with an overexposed bussom, which was worn specifically to awe and distract. On the tip of the finger of her opera length gloves was a hidden microdot that she switched to the glove of Queen Elizabeth II with a handshake and well performed curtsy. The encrypted message from President Eisenhower was a firm stance against Prime Minister Robert Eden and the Suez Crisis. The warning was well received and Prime Minister Eden resigned Jan 7, 1957. The crisis eventually led to negotiations and the Zurich-London agreements were formed in 1959.

The Millers returned to New York, Arthur had grown despondent and Marilyn was ready for a little respite. They agreed to take some time for a proper honeymoon to try to repair things between them. Arthur had taken it upon himself to fire Milton Greene. Marilyn Monroe Productions was in financial straights and Marilyn was still financially supporting Arthur as he had not produced any writing. Arthur had been significantly distracted and was still facing two counts of contempt. In the meantime, the CIA was growing concerned that Marilyn’s life had become too normalized and she could lose her edge. She was told to report to a staff therapist on a regular basis. Marilyn saw Dr. Marianne Kris in New York regularly, she quite enjoyed having someone to talk to about her double life: marriage and world events. She maintained her high-profile with publicity shoots and charitable work, but continued to support Arthur in any way she could. Currently featured on the cover of LIFE magazine, Marilyn took advantage of her celebrity and flew to Washington, DC where Arthur was testifying. Marilyn organized her own press conference to plead Arthur’s innocence. He was eventually cleared of all charges.

Marilyn suffered multiple incidents with her IUD and was forced to terminate two separate pregnancies. An infection was threatening her future ability to have children. This was a blow to Marilyn as she had never given family a thought. Again hospitalized, Arthur felt he had been overly cruel and unappreciative of Marilyn and he promised to create a screenplay just for her, which he would call “The Misfits”. He thought this could finally be the motivation he needed to produce a meaningful work since he and Marilyn married. He accompanied Marilyn on set so she could finish her new film, “Some Like It Hot”. Marilyn’s reputation had taken a blow during her time off and illness. She knew she was putting out some of the best work of her career this time. She had again found balance between her two lives and hoped Arthur could do the same. The political temperature had changed and unrest in Cuba was at an all-time high. In February 1959, Marilyn took a brief trip to Havana where she was hosted by a local couple and introduced to the most influential people in President Urrutias administration. She returned home and warned Director Dulles of an uprising lead by Fidel Castro, the new commander of the armed forces and his desire to overthrow the government. Marilyn felt Castro posed a significant threat to democracy and U.S. and Cuba relations. The government took note. Marilyn confided in Frank Sinatra about her trip and the threat in Cuba. He was busy setting up his residency in Las Vegas but she knew who was helping him with that. She thought it would be good to have Frank on her side. A few months later, Marilyn was called to Los Angeles to attend an event with Nikita Khrouchtechev, the head of the Soviet Union. Marilyn found Khrouchtechev very charming. He was clearly taken with her and enjoyed their healthy conversation about capitalism versus communism, but it was a shared love for the Russian novel, The Brothers Karamazov, that prompted Nikita to invite Marilyn to the Kremlin. Overall, his 13 day visit to the United States did nothing to strengthen international relations.

By 1960 and with the massive success of “Some Like It Hot”, Marilyn was back on top. Arthur was consumed with his writing of “The Misfits” which John Huston had signed on to direct. These days, Marilyn found she was most comfortable with those who could openly express their educated views no matter how unpopular or controversial. She kept company with Saul Bellow, Carl Sandburg, Vladimir Nabokov and had even met Isek Dinisen. Arthur felt threatened by the company Marilyn kept, many of whom she had met through him. Even the French couple Yves Montand and his wife, Simone Signoret began to make Arthur uncomfortable. The Millers had spent a few months entertaining The Montands while they were in New York. Yves and Simone were both very talented and articulate and spoke freely about world views and politics. Marilyn decided Yves would be a superb replacement for Gregory Peck in her current film “Let’s Make Love” as she admired his talent, humor and companionship. Arthur was off editing "The Misfits”, and it was sometime before she landed in Yves’ bed that Marilyn had begun to question the double life she was living. She was in a mundane marriage with a man she often found stiff, cruel and self-absorbed, she believed she could be more effective doing advocacy work than espionage, and she didn’t find satisfaction in the unintelligent roles she was playing or the superficial fame that came with them. For the first time, she thought about settling down and having a family. The affair with Yves ended as quickly as it started but it was the final tribulation in her relationship with Arthur. At the same time, Marilyn officially requested release from her position within the CIA. They responded with a counter offer: they needed access to Sam Giancana, known mafia boss. Marilyn stopped in Las Vegas on her way to Reno in July and a connection to Giancana was made. When Marilyn arrived in Reno to shoot “The Misfits”, tensions on set were palpable. The first week with Arthur was civil but deteriorated quickly. . Arthur had begun writing this script at a vulnerable time in his and Marlyn’s life and had been rewriting it ever since. He didn’t know how the story should end. The actors were growing more impatient with each script and dialogue change. The set felt divided between Mr. and Mrs. Miller. Marilyn was beginning to fray. In Cuba, the stakes were high, and when Marilyn learned of the mafia’s failed assassination attempt on Castro, she was devastated. A few days later, she collapsed on set and was sent to Los Angeles to recover. Dr. Kris found a therapist by the name of Dr. Ralph Greenson to support her through the crisis. While in the hospital, Marilyn was also visited by friends Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra, and Joe DiMaggio. A little over a week later she returned to Reno to finish “The Misfits”. The end of filming coincided with the end of her marriage to Arthur. Marilyn filed for divorce.

It was early 1961 and she returned to New York to spend time with Joe DiMaggio, the one man she could always depend upon. Thankfully, in response to her request, Director Dulles reluctantly conceded that her role within the intelligence community had been satisfied. Dr Marianne Kris quickly recommended sending Marilyn to the Payne Whitney Hospital in the city where the CIA could utilize MK ULTRA to brainwash her. After being admitted, Marilyn became unsure of the plan and called on Joe to retrieve her. The fear of being locked up like her mother had been a deeply rooted lifelong fear that shook Marilyn to the core. Paranoia set in. Joe came to Marilyn’s rescue and had her treated at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital for exhaustion instead. Upon her release, Joe barely left Marilyn’s side. She accompanied him to Florida several times and they spent time together in New York and L.A. Marilyn was well rested and revived in Los Angeles. She continued to see Dr. Greenson regularly. She was working with Fox to find a new, bright project that would keep her star-power from waning. Marilyn was still cleaning up her divorce and returned to the east coast to collect items in Connecticut from Arthur. She fell ill and wound up in the Polyclinic hospital in New York City for gall bladder surgery. Joe appeared by her side and played nursemaid through June. Marilyn was still acutely aware that she had not officially been released from the CIA. She had not communicated with Dr. Kris since the frightening experience at the Payne Whitney Psychiatric Facility, and learned that Director Dulles was forced to resign following the Bay of Pigs fiasco in April. She continued to send messages with no response. 

When she returned to Los Angles, Marilyn signed a new film “Something’s Got to Give” with Dean Martin. She was in good health and fitness and ready to work. While Joe was away, Marilyn kept company with Frank Sinatra and his friend Peter Lawford in Los Angeles. It was through Peter that she was introduced to Robert Kennedy, the Attorney General. Marilyn liked Bobby immediately, he represented much of the political activism that she had been so passionately involved in, especially the civil rights movement. She thought she had found a purpose for herself in advocating for friends like Sammy Davis, Jr., Ray Charles and Ella Fitzgerald. Marilyn spent more and more time with Peter and Pat Lawford, Dean and Jeanne Martin, and Frank Sinatra. The Lawfords were well connected and hosted many parties. She was introduced to President Kennedy at one of their parties and quickly understood that he was aware of her role within the counter intelligence agency. Marilyn found this a bit unnerving and got the impression he was not aware she was to be decommissioned. When Joe returned, he became concerned with Marilyn’s growing anxiety and thought she should stop seeing Dr. Greenson. When Marilyn suggested this to her therapist, he refused to stop treating her, he prescribed medication and sent Eunice Murray to be her caretaker. Marilyn felt Dr. Greenson was preying on her fear of becoming a schizophrenic like her own mother and began looking for a way to sever their professional relationship.  

In her search for autonomy, Marilyn found herself a little casita located at 12305 Fifth Helena Drive. With Joe’s approval, Marilyn Monroe bought her first home in January 1962. The following month, Bobby Kennedy arrived in Los Angeles and requested to see Marilyn. When she arrived at The Lawfords home, the Attorney General handed her another assignment direct from James Angelton, head of counter intelligence at the CIA. This special assignment required her to go to Mexico to find out what was going on in Cuba. They warned her that Dr. Ralph Greenson and Eunice Murray had been under surveillance since she met them years ago. Dr. Greenson was under suspicion of being a double agent. That said, Marilyn should use Eunice and her Communist contacts in Mexico to gain access, but exercise extreme caution. She was provided very specific instructions and warned of danger. There had been a lot of activity between the USSR and Cuba, but it was unclear what was happening. Marilyn was very nervous. She felt her worlds colliding and didn’t feel prepared for this mission. Marilyn flew to New York at the request of President Kennedy. Ultimately, she accepted the assignment, with the complete understanding that this would be her final under cover mission. Marilyn stayed in New York a few days before meeting Joe in Florida. Joe and Marilyn began to discuss their relationship and he noticed a real change in how she spoke about a future together filled with promise.

On February 20th, Marilyn traveled to Mexico under the guise of shopping for furnishings for her new home. Eunice Murray had flown ahead to set up an itinerary with the assistance of her brother in law who lived in Mexico and had many communist connections. He introduced Marilyn to a young filmmaker named Jose Balanos and Frederick Vanderbilt Field, a self-exiled communist from the wealthy American family. As instructed, Marilyn went to find William Spratling’s shop near Taxo, where she was to buy a silver chess set. One of the silver pawns would contain an electrostatic recording device. Marilyn found Spratling and picked up the device. Unfortunately, the U.S. government did not know that Spratling had been under surveillance for the past 6 months by Castro’s people. Marilyn made the rounds and recorded many conversations about missiles being moved into Cuba. Her new companion, Freddy Field was curious about this beautiful blonde American actress who spoke broken conversational Spanish. When they stopped for lunch one day, he asked her about her affinity for Mexico. She shared that her mother was born and had grown up in Piedras Negras, Mexico. When Freddy asked Marilyn about being an orphan, she was slightly caught off guard and began to stutter. She excused herself to the bathroom. Freddy called the owner of the restaurant over and asked him to send his young daughter in to see what she was doing. When the little girl snuck in, she saw Marilyn speaking into the silver chess piece. “Note to The President and Attorney General, I am done after this. You promised. I want a quiet life. I want to be left alone.” Startled, Marilyn looked at the little girl and batted her eyes. Marilyn leaned in and said, “Sometimes it helps to practice before an interview” and smiled as she dropped the chess piece into her bag and walked over to the sink to wash her hands. The little girl slipped out of the bathroom and reported back to her father and Mr. Field. Marilyn and Eunice returned home the next day.

Unfortunately, the following month, when Jose Balanos, flew to California from Mexico to accompany Marilyn to the Golden Globe Awards, he delivered a fateful message. Jose warned Marilyn to be very careful and to fire Eunice Murray immediately. Marilyn became increasingly paranoid. She did fire Eunice a few times, but Eunice kept reporting to work. Marilyn knew she was being monitored. Marilyn could not sleep and began suffering from anxiety. Her body was stressed and she developed a sinus infection. She missed days of shooting her film “Something’s Got to Give”. Ultimately, she was fired from the project. Marilyn’s sole focus was to hand off the chess piece to the Attorney General in New York at the President’s birthday celebration. She pulled herself together and in over-the-top fashion, she arrived in New York and gave her famous performance of “Happy Birthday Mr. President”. With chess piece in hand she quietly spoke with The President and Attorney General at the after party. She was informed that she had been compromised in Mexico and needed to lie low. They had aborted another assassination attempt on Castro and were in talks to broker a deal. Not knowing what to do, she returned to California and called upon Joe. Joe still had no knowledge of Marilyn’s involvement with the CIA but desperately loved her and would do anything in the world for her. Looking forward, Marilyn prayed for a quiet, safe life with Joe. She did not take the Kennedy’s advice and instead engaged in a PR campaign that involved numerous shoots and interviews to demonstrate her popularity and relevance. By the end of the month, she was back in negotiations for her contract on “Something’s Got to Give”. 

Marilyn was invited by Peter and Patricia Lawford to Cal-Neva Lodge in Lake Tahoe, NV. Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin were performing there. Lawford delivered a message to Marilyn from the Kennedys that they are making slow progress, it was increasingly complicated. Mafia head, Sam Giancana was also at Cal-Neva Lodge that weekend and he assured Marilyn that he would not get involved one way or another. It was out of her hands. Marilyn told Peter to invoke a “last resort protocol” on her behalf, if necessary, and returned to Los Angeles. Joe resigned from his job with plans to rejoin Marilyn in California. Marilyn’s contract for “Something’s Got to Give” was renewed for an October shoot.  

Feeling cautiously optimistic, Marilyn invited Pat Newcomb, her publicist and friend for a quiet dinner at La Scala on August 3rd. Peter Lawford joined them unexpectedly. He told Marilyn the nation was grateful for her service and he placed a poison pen on the table. Marilyn slowly nodded and said to thank the Kennedys for giving her the dignified way out. Pat Newcomb began screaming at Peter and Marilyn. Marilyn did her best to calm her friend. They (all) always knew this life choice came with risks.

Marilyn planned the following day at home exactly the way she wanted it. She spent a peaceful afternoon of gardening, taking calls and a few visitors. Pat had slept over but could not bare to stay. Marilyn started a note to Joe outside, but never finished it because Dr. Greenson arrived. He confirmed that unless she could take matters into her own hands, he and Eunice were instructed to execute an alternate solution. Marilyn assured him she new the terms and planned to leave this world the same way she arrived, naked and unburdened. Later that evening, she retired to her room, and some time after 8pm she pulled the cap from the pen and pricked herself. As she had been gardening, no one questioned the tiny pinhole in her finger. Marilyn called Peter and delivered her farewell message. She scribbled a note in her address book on the bed next to her and drifted away peacefully. Before midnight, Dr. Greenson and Eunice reconvened at Fifth Helena and confirmed Marilyn’s death. They administered an obligatory sublingual does of barbituates for assurance. The cover-up began with a CIA house sweep. The room was staged, stories were aligned and timelines were put into place. The call was made to LAPD just after 4am.

Joe was called later that morning. He was heartbroken and in disbelief. He arrived the same day and was deeply distraught. Joe organized a small, private funeral and excluded many of her supposed friends. He always blamed those around her for her death. The medical examiner told the press it was a “probable suicide”. The truth has been safely guarded and died with the people around her at the time. Only a faintly scribbled note in the back of her white address book reveals “Playing Marilyn Monroe was the part of a lifetime. I hope history remembers her well.”