Marilyn Monroe’s Obituary Was Surprisingly Savage

The New Yorker described Netflix's Marilyn Monroe movie Blonde as "a grave disservice to the woman whom it purports to honor." GQ also said that it is "a movie unrelenting in its brutality." But whether you agree with their opinions or not, these passionate rebukes are nothing new when it comes to the media and Marilyn Monroe. Take the obituaries published right after Monroe's death in 1962. While some of America’s biggest publications wrote heartbreaking eulogies that celebrated the icon, others released statements that were, shall we say, less than flattering. Some were just downright rude — and the Los Angeles Times took it further than most.

A shocking demise

Monroe died on August 4, 1962. She was found in her Los Angeles home by her housekeeper, and the screen star was later ruled to have died by suicide. Understandably, her sudden and unexpected passing at the age of just 36 sent shockwaves throughout the world. And the salacious details surrounding her demise only fueled the media storm that followed.

The media get their knives out

Four days after Monroe’s death, she was interred at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery’s Corridor of Memories. And while the funeral was private, hundreds of fans packed the surrounding streets to say goodbye to the star. But the press wasn’t done with Monroe. Through their obituaries, they had one last opportunity to tell the world how they really felt about her.

Bad press

Many well-respected publications ran obituaries for Monroe — but a number of them weren’t the kind that served as glowing reports of her achievements. Some — such as the piece that ran in Time magazine — chose to focus on the negatives. More specifically, the publication commented on the star’s perceived lack of professionalism. “She was always late for everything,” the obituary read. “Her tardiness was measured in weeks instead of hours.” But Time magazine’s strong opinions didn’t end there.

Harsh critiques

For instance, despite Monroe’s obvious success in the entertainment industry, the obituary condemned her for offering “a photographer exclusive rights to nearly nude shots of her.” Then, just to reiterate the point, it said, “Last week, she negotiated still another sale of a nude photograph to a picture magazine.” And Time was far from the only news outlet to criticize the late star.

Not-so-kind words

The New York Times chose, for instance, to focus on Monroe’s personal possessions — or lack thereof. The obituary in the newspaper of record pointed out that her bedroom “was neat but sparsely furnished.” And just to labor the point, the article added, “Her one-story stucco house… was far different from the lavish Beverly Hills Hotel suites more typical of her.” But the American media weren’t the only ones to attack Monroe in their tributes.

A crumbling beauty

The British newspaper The Guardian took several swings at the late Hollywood star. In its obituary, the paper described Monroe as a “pretty woman whose beauty crumbled overnight.” Monroe was also apparently “charming, shrewd, and pathetic,” as well as someone who, “in the end, sought ultimate oblivion.” But perhaps the most damning critique of the actress came from her hometown paper.

The LA takedown

The Los Angeles Times — or the LA Times, for short — had seemingly taken a dislike to Monroe, if its obituary is anything to go by. Whether this was because of the culture of the time, Monroe’s part in a changing of attitudes, or something completely different, the paper's obit was brutal towards her. And describing the coroner as likely giving a “'presumptive opinion' that death was due to an overdose of some drug” was just the start of it.

An unhappy star

From such cold beginnings, the obituary went on to seemingly decry the physical state of Monroe’s dead body. It read, “She was unkempt and in need of a manicure and pedicure.” This supposed nail-care situation, the publication said the authorities added, indicated “listlessness and a lack of interest in maintaining her usually glamorous appearance.” The obituary also described Monroe as “a troubled beauty who failed to find happiness as Hollywood’s brightest star.”

A state of undress

And as was the case with many other reports, the paper made note of the fact that the star had been nude when she died. The piece added that Monroe had passed away while “lying face down on her bed and clutching a telephone receiver in her hand when a psychiatrist broke into her room at 3:30 a.m.”

All the mundane details

And in an echo of The New York Times’ obituary, the LA Times later described some of the late star’s possessions in considerable detail — specifically the linen on her bed. The unflattering tribute revealed that Monroe had been lying “under a sheet and champagne-colored blanket” that had been “tucked up around her shoulders.” Its story of the discovery of Monroe's body is not exactly warm, either.

A matter-of-fact statement

The piece went on to very matter-of-factly describe the moment when Monroe’s doctor, Dr. Ralph Greenson, and her housekeeper, Eunice Murray, discovered her body. It stated, “Dr. Greenson took the receiver from her hand and told Mrs. Murray, ‘She appears to be dead.’” And as if all that wasn’t insulting enough, the news outlet also gave a scathing critique of the actress’ working life.

Chalking it up to the movies

The paper cited Monroe’s career as being “on the skids after two straight movie flops in Let’s Make Love and The Misfits — her last two movies.” This, it posited, had been the potential cause of the star's possible depression. The obituary also took the time to point out that the detective on the scene said that the drugs that had been responsible for her death had come from “12 to 15 medicine bottles on Miss Monroe’s bedside stand.” Only “some,” it seems, had prescription labels.

Reading between the lines

The LA Times reported that Monroe’s 50-pill Nembutal prescription had been “issued only two or three days” before her death. Given that the bottle was now empty, then, the paper seemingly implied that the star had ingested far more than the recommended daily dose. And from there, the piece went on to describe in detail the final time that Monroe's body left her house.

Following her final journey

“Miss Monroe’s body was wrapped in a pale blue blanket,” the obituary read, “and strapped to a stretcher as it was removed from the home.” The article then recounted the authorities’ next steps, saying, “Miss Monroe’s body was loaded into the back of a station wagon and transported to the Westwood Village Mortuary.” But the grim, unfeeling coverage didn’t end there.

Just a number

The obituary even went on to describe what happened to Monroe’s body in rather more detail than you would expect. “The body was later transferred to the county morgue, where the nation’s number one glamour girl became Coroner’s Case number 81128, and the body was placed in Crypt 33,” the piece read. And when the paper sought out comments from Monroe's former husbands, they didn't exactly fall over themselves with praise.

Miller and DiMaggio

“In Woodbury, Conn., [Arthur] Miller replied, 'I don’t, really’ when asked if he had any comment,” the LA Times reported. And while Joe DiMaggio — Monroe’s second husband — “flew [in] from San Francisco as soon as he heard,” he had nothing to say to reporters. “His face was lined and he appeared deeply saddened,” the paper described. The reporters didn’t get much out of Monroe’s first husband, either.

No suicide

“Her first husband was Jim Dougherty, now a Los Angeles policeman,” the LA Times reported. “His only comment was, 'I’m sorry.’” Yet some of Monroe’s friends refuted the idea that she’d deliberately ended her life. “This must have been an accident,” Pat Newcomb, the star’s press agent, told the LA Times. “Marilyn was in perfect physical condition and was feeling great. We had made plans for today.”

In defense of Marilyn

Monroe’s colleagues raced to defend the star, too. Joshua Logan, director of Bus Stop, described the star as “one of the most unappreciated people in the world.” And even Laurence Olivier – with whom the late star had apparently clashed during the making of The Prince and The Showgirl – was angry on her behalf. He reportedly thought her “the complete victim of ballyhoo and sensation.”

Memories fade

The LA Times did manage to muster some pathos for its last look at Monroe's death. “Miss Newcomb took the housekeeper home and carried with her Miss Monroe’s small white dog Moff,” it stated. “All that was left behind for the eye of the curious were the dog’s two stuffed toys, a tiger and lamb, lying in the rear yard.” It was a very different picture than how she'd come into the world.

Humble beginnings

In fact, even her name had been different at the start. After her birth on June 1, 1926, Monroe was given the decidedly less glamorous moniker of Norma Jeane Mortenson. Monroe’s mom, Gladys, wasn’t aware who her little girl’s father was, either, so the future actress never knew him. But tragically, her history of family heartbreak didn’t end there.

Foster baby

For the first few years of Monroe’s life, she lived with foster parents. And as Gladys had to work, she stayed in the city and only went to see her daughter at the weekends. Happily, though, when Monroe was seven, the pair moved into a house in Hollywood and resided there — along with some lodgers. But that situation wouldn’t last a year — and Monroe didn't start on the path to stardom until she was an adult.

Rushed marriage

Monroe tied the knot with 21-year-old James Dougherty. And after Dougherty enlisted in the Merchant Marines, his young wife took work in a local munitions plant. There, a chance encounter with an Army photographer led to her signing with the Blue Book Agency in 1945 as a model. So, within just a year, Monroe managed to grace the covers of some 33 magazines. And from there, the bright lights of Hollywood beckoned.

Pushed in the right direction

It would be Monroe’s short-lived union with Dougherty, though, that set her on a path to stardom. After Dougherty enlisted in the Merchant Marines, you see, his young wife took work in a local munitions plant. There, a chance encounter with an Army photographer led to her signing with the Blue Book Agency in 1945 as a model. So, within just a year, Monroe managed to grace the covers of some 33 magazines. And from there, the bright lights of Hollywood beckoned.

Becoming a star

In 1946 Monroe signed with 20th Century Fox, chose her now-famous stage name, and divorced her husband. Then, after a string of successful supporting roles, Monroe brokered a seven-year deal with Fox. And in 1952 she was heralded as the year’s “it girl” — after three of her most iconic performances. The first was Rose Loomis in Niagara. This prompted one critic from The New York Times to note, “She can be seductive — even when she walks.”

An iconic role

Monroe’s next big movie was Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, which added the next familiar layer to her persona: the “dumb blonde.” Hot on the heels of that success came How to Marry a Millionaire. That same year, she appeared on the cover of Playboy magazine’s first-ever issue. Monroe’s reputation as a sex symbol was assured — and her love life took a turn for the better, too.

Same old roles

Monroe married baseball hero Joe DiMaggio in January 1954. The pair split just nine months later, however. And after the actress starred in 1955’s The Seven Year Itch, she declared herself bored with what she saw as repetitive roles. So, she started her own production company called MMP. And Monroe’s next project – 1956’s Bus Stop – earned her a Golden Globe nomination.

Religious conversion

While portraying a saloon entertainer with big dreams, Monroe prompted one critic to note that the movie “effectively dispels once and for all the notion that she is a mere glamour presence.” As if to underline that point, the star married playwright Arthur Miller that year, converting to Judaism for the wedding. But although life might have seemed rosy for Monroe from an outsider’s perspective, the reality was about to be very different.

Off-screen issues

While the star was filming her next picture, The Prince And The Showgirl, in 1956, she experienced some professional problems. Apparently, she and her co-star Laurence Olivier didn’t see eye to eye at all. More tragically, Monroe supposedly suffered a miscarriage during the shoot. Nor did her personal issues end there. The next year, Monroe spent a brief time in hospital after overdosing on barbiturates, after which she chose to take some time off from Hollywood.

Award-winning performance

When she returned in 1958, though, it was to make yet another iconic movie: Some Like It Hot. And the picture – which was a smash hit upon its release in 1959 — ultimately earned Monroe a Golden Globe, too. But, sadly, this success wasn’t to last. During the shoot for Monroe’s next picture – 1960’s Let’s Make Love – she often didn’t show up for work, causing production delays.

The Misfits

That same year, meanwhile, Monroe made what would ultimately be her final movie. But The Misfits – which had been written by her estranged husband – proved to be even more difficult to shoot than Let’s Make Love had been. There was the strain of working with Miller, for one, and it certainly didn’t help that the star was addicted to barbiturates during this time. Monroe’s substance abuse was so persistent, in fact, that her make-up often had to be applied while she was asleep. And as if that wasn’t enough, she also suffered from gallstones during the production.

Health issues abound

Monroe and Miller ultimately divorced in January 1961, following which the star spent the next six months dealing with health issues. Her gallbladder was removed during this period, for instance; she also underwent an operation for endometriosis and spent a month in the hospital with depression. But by the beginning of the next year, Monroe had moved into her own home in LA – and she was even dating DiMaggio again.

Dropped by the studio

Then, not long after moving house, Monroe went back to work. But while starring in Something’s Gotta Give, she was once again plagued by ill-health — this time with sinusitis. And even though Monroe had invited the press to snap pictures of her during a nude scene, her studio decided to drop her. She never finished the film, of course, but the press was still obsessed with all things Marilyn. It's surprising, then, that there are still a lot of things her fans probably don't know about her.

She saw “Marilyn Monroe” as a different person

According to people who knew her, the woman born Norma Jeane Mortenson considered “Marilyn Monroe” a separate personality. One story even claims that the star was walking unnoticed through New York with a friend when she said, “Do you want me to be her?” So, Monroe opened her coat and started sashaying — only to be quickly surrounded by photographers.

She was rumored to have had an affair with a woman

Monroe may have been married three times, but gossip nevertheless spread about a liaison with drama teacher Natasha Lytess — particularly after Lytess moved in with the actress. That said, in 1954 Monroe wrote in her autobiography, My Story, “A man who had kissed me once had said it was very possible that I was a lesbian because apparently I had no response to males… Now, having fallen in love, I knew what I was. It wasn’t a lesbian.”

Her mother had a mental breakdown

Monroe’s mother, Gladys, had a difficult life. After she divorced her first husband, for instance, the two children she had were taken away from her. Then, in 1933, tragedy struck when Gladys’ son Robert died of an infection. This devastating event occurred just months after Gladys’ grandfather Tilford Hogan had taken his own life, and sadly it appears that the double-whammy of grief led Monroe’s mom to a breakdown.

People found her difficult to work with

In 2012 Monroe’s The Prince and the Showgirl co-star Jean Kent told the Daily Mail that Monroe was an unpopular “grubby, disheveled little thing” who “never arrived on time, never said a line the same way twice [and] seemed completely unable to hit her marks on the set.” Tony Curtis was famously even more damning, once claiming that kissing Monroe was like “kissing Hitler” — although he later said that he had been joking around with the harsh remark.

She hated being in front of a camera

While Monroe was frequently filmed — often in skimpy outfits — she apparently hated the experience. In 2012 her Bus Stop co-star Don Murray told the Los Angeles Times, “For somebody who the camera loved, [Monroe] was still terrified of going before the camera and broke out in a rash all over her body.”

She used a lot of names

Norma Jeane didn’t officially change her name to Marilyn Monroe until 1956. Before that, she’d used both “Jean Norman” and “Mona Monroe” for her modeling work and had suggested “Jean Adair” for screen credits. A psychiatric clinic also admitted her under the name “Faye Miller.” And when the actress needed to check into a hotel incognito, she did so with the magnificent “Zelda Zonk.”

She had plastic surgery

Even someone as naturally beautiful as Monroe couldn’t resist the lure of plastic surgery. In 1950 she had two procedures, a tip rhinoplasty, and a chin implant, paid for by her agent Johnny Hyde. And many years later, in 2013, her doctor’s notes about this work were put up for auction. They disappointed those fans who'd thought she’d never gone under the knife.

Her second wedding was ruined by the paparazzi

In 1954 Monroe tied the knot with baseball player DiMaggio in what was said to be the wedding of the year. Yet the bride didn’t actually want any attention at all. She had attempted to keep her relationship with DiMaggio quiet. But, unfortunately, someone at her studio leaked the wedding plans, meaning fans and photographers ultimately descended upon the couple on their big day.

She tried to be a good cook

Monroe started out as a disaster in the kitchen. Apparently, on one occasion, a friend asked her to wash some lettuce for dinner — only to find the star scrubbing at the leaves with a Brillo pad. But as Monroe got older, she learned more and more. She even created her own dishes. In 2010 The New York Times tried the actress’ Thanksgiving stuffing recipe and praised her for “cooking confidently and with flair.”

Nude photos of her were circulated

Before Monroe was famous, she agreed to pose for nude photographs for $50 as she badly needed the money. Then, after Monroe found fame, the pictures were leaked to the public — but Monroe stood up for herself. To prevent any potential scandal from ruining her career, the star confirmed that the pictures were of her but that she had only done them because she'd been broke. The public took her to their hearts shortly afterward.

DiMaggio was angry about an iconic scene

Arguably the most famous image of Monroe is that of her standing over a grate while her skirt blows up in the 1955 movie The Seven Year Itch. When that scene was filmed, however, Monroe’s then-husband DiMaggio is said to have taken issue. Apparently, he didn’t want other people looking at his wife that way. He was allegedly so angry that he got physical with his spouse. Shortly afterward, Monroe divorced the baseball star.

Her notebooks contain dark insights into her personality

Monroe’s notebook entries were uncovered in 2010, and they showed the world the depths of despair she often felt. One passage reads, “I can’t really stand human beings sometimes — I know they all have their problems as I have mine — but I’m really too tired for it. Trying to understand, making allowances, seeing certain things that just weary me.”

She may or may not have had an affair with John F. Kennedy

For years, people have speculated that Monroe had an affair with President Kennedy. And while the actress’ sultry performance at JFK’s 1962 birthday celebration was enough proof for some, there’s no actual evidence that the two had a relationship. People who knew Monroe have said it’s possible that the pair slept together once, but the icon never talked about it.

Her corpse was covertly photographed

After Monroe died, there was a flurry of press interest — some of it downright ghoulish. Famous photographer Leigh Wiener for instance — according to his own son — bribed morgue officials to gain access to Monroe’s body so that he could take snaps of the late star. Weiner died in 1993, however, and most of these secret photos have thankfully never been found.

She liked intellectual men

After divorcing DiMaggio, Monroe rather unexpectedly wed playwright Arthur Miller. This bewildered many people, who thought that the blonde bombshell and the Pulitzer Prize winner couldn’t possibly have anything in common. Yet Monroe was by all accounts attracted to intellectuals. She even kept a framed photograph of Albert Einstein. But she wasn't totally done with her exes.

DiMaggio spied on her

After Monroe divorced DiMaggio, the wounded ex-husband apparently didn't take the split well. Reportedly, he would turn up at her residence, disguised with a fake beard, to watch his former wife from afar. DiMaggio even supposedly hired a private investigator to inform him when Monroe started to see other men — which, of course, she eventually did.

Some people think the Kennedys had her killed

Monroe was romantically linked to Bobby Kennedy as well as JFK. Some conspiracy theorists are convinced, then, that the icon was killed by the Kennedys to hide these affairs. And an FBI file published in 2007 may lend credence to the theory. This states that on the day Monroe passed away, Bobby made a phone call “to find out if Marilyn was dead yet.”

She eventually met her half-sister

While Monroe’s half-brother, Robert, died before she could meet him, she did get to know her half-sister, Berniece. In 1938 Berniece received a letter from her mother, Gladys — whom she had previously thought dead — and it was through this that she learned of Monroe’s existence. And the sisters remained friends for the rest of Monroe’s life, with the star sometimes sending parcels of clothes to Berniece and her daughter, Mona.

She wanted to be an actress right from childhood

Monroe’s childhood was a rough one often spent in foster homes. Yet the young girl still dreamed of a future career in show business. In 1962 she told Life magazine, “When I was five, I think, that’s when I started wanting to be an actress… I didn’t like the world around me because it was kind of grim, but I loved to play house… When I heard that this was acting, I said, ‘That’s what I want to be.’”

There was an open casket at her funeral

In 2012 actress Mitzi Gaynor told the Los Angeles Times that Monroe wanted to look beautiful even in death. She said, “The paparazzi would at least see a pretty picture of her when they took her out on the gurney.” And Monroe had her wish granted at her funeral. There, she was seen in a wig, as her head had been shaved for the autopsy.

Miller was disappointed in her

Famously, the Miller-Monroe marriage didn’t last. The final nail in the coffin may have come when Monroe discovered notes written by Miller expressing disappointment in the relationship. Miller subsequently claimed that the draft was for a play, but Monroe knew better. At the time, she wrote in her diary, “I guess I have always been deeply terrified to really be someone’s wife since I know from life one cannot love another, ever.”

She was sewn into one of her most famous gowns

When Monroe sang “Happy Birthday” to John F. Kennedy, she notably wore a beautiful sequinned dress. However, the garment was very tight on her — so tight that she ultimately had to be sewn into it. In 2016 the famous gown was sold for $4.8 million to Ripley’s Believe It or Not!

A stranger is buried on top of her

A man named Richard Poncher owned the burial plot above Monroe's, and in 1986 — in accordance with the man's final wishes — his body was buried face down in his crypt. Poncher is still there to this day — even though his widow once tried to sell the burial space for $4.6 million. Some people may well consider this an indignity, as Monroe had no say in the matter.

She planned to remarry DiMaggio before she died

During a 2012 interview with British newspaper the Daily Mirror, Monroe’s niece Mona let slip something interesting. She said, “I know [Monroe] was planning on remarrying Joe [DiMaggio]. He was really the love of her life. They knew what they wanted out of life at that point, and they could have made it work.”

She was monitored by the FBI

Monroe’s left-wing views — she was pro-civil rights and a member of the Committee for a Sane Nuclear Policy — made the FBI suspicious of both her and Miller. For a while, the bureau apparently monitored her to see if she was a communist, eventually concluding that she was not. So, what became of those original files? Well, they’re lost now — according to the FBI, at least.

Miller didn’t go to her funeral

Miller didn’t attend Monroe’s funeral, although this wasn’t out of malice. On the day of the ceremony, the playwright penned an essay by way of explanation, writing, “Instead of jetting to the funeral to get my picture taken, I decided to stay home and let the public mourners finish the mockery. Not that everyone there will be false, but enough. Most of them there destroyed [Monroe], ladies and gentlemen.”

Her niece thinks her death was accidental

While the official cause of Monroe’s death is suicide, her niece, Mona, isn’t so sure. In 2012 she told the Daily Mirror, “I do not subscribe to any of these murder or suicide theories or [Monroe’s] supposed affair with President Kennedy. None of it is true. It was an accident. She had so many appointments booked. The day after she died, she was going to see producers and then a lawyer to change her will.”

She left a great deal of money to her psychoanalyst

Monroe bequeathed most of her fortune to her acting coach Lee Strasberg and her half-sister, along with a substantial sum for her mother’s care. Intriguingly, though, the actress also left 25 percent of her assets to her psychoanalyst, Dr. Marianne Kris. This was despite the fact that the trust between the pair had been broken in 1961 — the year when Kris sent Monroe to a mental health institution.

Hugh Hefner is buried next to Monroe — despite never having met her

Back in 1992, Playboy founder Hugh Hefner bought the crypt next to Monroe’s, and it was there that he was buried after his death in 2017. But many people thought the move disrespectful. Aside from the fact that Hefner never actually met Monroe, he also printed her nude pictures in Playboy without asking her permission or compensating her.

There’s a box of her files sealed until 2039

Some Monroe fans must be eagerly awaiting the year 2039, as that’s when a box of her private files is set to be opened. “Box 39” currently sits in a special section of the UCLA library, and it’s speculated that the documents within may finally answer the question of whether the icon intended to take her own life or not.

DiMaggio had roses delivered to her grave for years

By many accounts, DiMaggio never stopped loving Monroe — even despite their turbulent relationship. He was apparently devastated at her funeral, and for 20 years after her death, he had roses delivered to her grave twice a week. And according to DiMaggio’s lawyer, the last words of Monroe’s ex-husband were, “I’ll finally get to see Marilyn” — although this story has since been disputed by others.

She resented being a sex symbol

Some of Monroe’s best-known quotes reflect rather unfavorably on her life as a screen goddess. At one point, she said, “Being a sex symbol is a heavy load to carry, especially when one is tired, hurt, and bewildered.” Her 1957 diary entries also talk of “tension, sadness, disappointment” and her own “dead eyes.” Combining that with her fear of the camera and her general anxiety makes for a sad story.

She really wanted to be a mother

In the 2018 documentary Marilyn Monroe For Sale, fellow actress Marion Collyer said, “All that Marilyn ever wanted in her life was to have a baby.” Tragically, though, the screen legend had endometriosis, and this condition may have played a part in the several miscarriages that Monroe experienced throughout her life.

She loved reading

Though Monroe often played the ditzy blonde, she was anything but. She loved to read, and her California home held over 400 books. Her interests were diverse, too, with the classics, gardening manuals, and several first editions stacked up on the shelves. Apparently, Monroe was reading both Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird and Leo Rosten’s Captain Newman, M.D. just before she died.

She did a photoshoot in a potato sack

Supposedly, a critic once slammed Monroe by declaring that she would look better in a potato sack than in a low-cut dress. Another story claims someone told either the star or her producers that the actress would be beautiful even in a potato sack. But regardless of the truth of the matter, Monroe actually did do a photoshoot dressed in a potato sack — and remained stunning in the resulting shots.

The coroner couldn’t be sure that she took her own life

In 2009 Dr. Thomas Noguchi, the coroner who had performed Monroe’s autopsy, spoke to the British newspaper The Daily Telegraph. The medic revealed that while he had performed toxicology tests on the actress, he had not analyzed her internal organs. Noguchi added, “I am sure that this could have cleared up a lot of the subsequent controversy, but I didn’t follow through as I should have. I think that was a great shame.”

She wasn’t a natural blonde

Both during her life and since her death, Monroe has remained the quintessential blonde. But, interestingly, that wasn’t her natural hair color at all. She started life as a brunette and only dyed her hair with peroxide when she started getting into the acting business. No matter her hair color, though, she was still beautiful.