Kim Kardashian Responds To Claims She Damaged Marilyn Monroe's Dress At The Met Gala

Kim Kardashian has responded to claims that she damaged Marilyn Monroe's dress at the Met Gala.

The reality star, 41, donned the iconic 'Happy Birthday' gown at this year's 2022 red carpet, before changing into a replica at the top of the stairs.

In a recent interview with American morning show Today, the Kardashians star responded when asked by hosts Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie if she had damaged the dress.

Watch the video below:

"No," Kardashian responded, shaking her head.

"Ripley’s [and I] worked together so well. There were handlers and gloves that put it on me."

Savannah then added: "Ripley's has said that the dress wasn't damaged."

Kim then went on to explain the careful steps she and her team went through so she could wear the sparkling gown on the night.

"It was such a process. I showed up to the red carpet in a robe and slippers and I put the dress on at the bottom of the carpet, went up the stairs … I probably had it on for three minutes, four minutes, and then I changed at the top of the stairs," she told the presenters.

She added that she has so much 'respect' for Marilyn, and was shocked when some onlookers expressed they didn't know who she was.

"I understand how much this dress means to American history and with the [Met] theme being American, I thought what is more American than Marilyn Monroe singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to the President of the United States," Kardashian said.

Previously, Kim has been the subject of backlash following the resurgence of the historical piece of clothing, with some people claiming that the dress had been 'ruined' by her wearing it.

These comments come after stark before-and-after photos taken 52 days apart by Monroe superfans which show the alleged differences to the dress.

Ripley's Believe It or Not! have since addressed the backlash and have rushed to Kim's defence in a statement. "One thing Ripley’s Believe It or Not! can say with confidence is that it did not cause damage to Marilyn Monroe’s famed “Happy Birthday” dress from 1962," they wrote.

Elsewhere in the interview, Kim also tackled claims that her weight loss to fit into Marilyn's dress was 'unhealthy', telling the show's presenters that she approached the Met Gala look as 'a role'.

"I looked at it like a role, and I really wanted to wear this dress. It was really important to me, and it actually taught me a lot about my lifestyle and my health."

She added: "Since then, afterwards, I've continued to eat really healthy... I'm not trying to lose any more weight, but I have more energy than ever, I've cut out so much sugar, a lot of junk food I was eating – I didn't even realise – a lot of fried foods, and I just completely changed my lifestyle."

If you have a story you want to tell, send it to UNILAD via [email protected]  

• Met Gala curse explained and the history of how many times it's happened
• Olympic freestyle skier Eileen Gu's Met Gala dress of 15,000 glass bubbles took 2,550 hours to make
• Met Gala menu explained and the four foods you'll never see on there
• Staggering amount it costs for celebrities to attend Met Gala