'Scandalous' delves into conspiracy theories surrounding Marilyn Monroe’s death
Fox Nation examines several versions of how, when, and where theorists say Marilyn Monroe died.
Marilyn Monroe rose to fame in the 1950s and 1960s with successful film roles where she took on the part of the comedic "blonde bombshell," subsequently, becoming a major "sex symbol" in the Golden Age of Hollywood.
Wednesday, August 4 marks the 59 year anniversary of the actor's death.
Although Monroe’s professional accomplishments were vast, the star’s personal life also became a major topic of discussion in the 50s and 60s pop culture.
Whether it was her high-profile relationship and marriage with baseball legend Joe DiMaggio or her infamous relationship with both President John. F. Kennedy and brother-Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, the actresses’ life was always subject to high-scrutiny and in the forefront of Hollywood limelight.
When Monroe shockingly passed away on August 4 1962 from what is considered a barbiturate overdose, her personal relationships suddenly became the subject of elaborate conspiracy theories by those who questioned the actresses’ reported cause of death.
Fox Nation’s "Scandalous: The Death of Marilyn Monroe" takes a deep dive into the life and legacy of the American darling along with the rumors and conspiracies surrounding her sudden death.
Considered one of the most notorious conspiracy theories involving Monroe’s death, the docuseries examines the icon’s relationship with John F. Kennedy and brother Robert F. Kennedy and the claims that United States Attorney General who was later assassinated in 1968 played a role in the star’s untimely passing.
Spearheaded by New York zealot Frank Capell and distributed by prominent columnist and radio personality Walter Winchell soon after Monroe’s passing and without any real evidence, the theory that Bobby Kennedy murdered Marilyn Monroe was born.
According to Donald McGovern, author of "Murder Orthodoxies," "a very powerful" Winchell, with unverified information fed to him by Frank Capell, "insinuated" that the U.S. attorney general had Monroe murdered when she threatened to expose an affair the two were having after Bobby Kennedy refused to leave his wife. Frank Capell later double-downed on the theory, citing Winchell in a 1964 pamphlet titled "The Strange Death of Marilyn Monroe."
"Walter Winchell serialized what essentially was the theory that Bobby Kennedy and Marilyn had had an affair and had Marilyn murdered. I don't know that Winchell ever comes out and says that, but it's insinuated," McGovern explains.
"Don't think of Capell's pamphlet as a book with lots of evidence and citations. That's not what it was. When Capell wrote his pamphlet he cites Walter Winchell as a source, which basically is citing himself" he adds.
"Capell's pamphlet was published the year Bobby Kennedy was going to run for Senate seat from New York. It was essentially a political hit piece."
Despite the controversy surrounding the life, legacy and tragic death of Marilyn Monroe, the star will forever hold a special place in the hearts of Americans and will remain one of the greatest Hollywood icons to have ever blessed the big screen.
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