Marilyn Monroe in bed is an image that basically lives rent-free in our collective cultural memory. You’ve seen it. That shock of platinum hair, the white silk sheets, and that look in her eyes that was somehow both totally innocent and incredibly dangerous. But honestly? The reality of how Marilyn spent her nights was way more chaotic than those polished Look magazine photos suggest.
She wasn't always a "glamour girl" when the cameras stopped clicking. Sometimes, she was just a tired woman who forgot to do the dishes.
What really happened during the Douglas Kirkland shoot?
If you’ve seen the most famous photos of Marilyn Monroe in bed, you’ve seen the work of Douglas Kirkland. The year was 1961. Kirkland was only 27, and he was terrified. He’d been sent to photograph the biggest star in the world for the 25th anniversary of Look magazine.
Marilyn basically took charge of the whole vibe. She told him exactly what she needed: a bed, white silk sheets, Frank Sinatra on the record player, and a bottle of Dom Pérignon. No clothes. Just the sheet.
She showed up hours late, which was kinda her thing. But when she walked in, Kirkland said she was "luminous." She asked everyone to leave the room so it was just her and the photographer. The result was a series of images that feel so intimate it’s almost like you’re intruding. Interestingly, Marilyn later looked at the contact sheets and talked about herself in the third person. "That girl," she said, "is the kind of girl that anyone would want to be in bed with."
The "Five Drops of Chanel No. 5" myth (that was actually true)
We’ve all heard the quote. In a 1952 interview with LIFE magazine, a reporter asked her what she wore to bed. Her answer became legendary: "Five drops of Chanel No. 5."
💡 You might also like: Dale Mercer Net Worth: Why the RHONY Star is Richer Than You Think
Most people think this was just a clever PR line. It wasn't. Marilyn actually hated pajamas. She claimed that nightgowns and "creepy" pajama bottoms disturbed her sleep. She preferred the feeling of being unrestricted.
Later on, in 1960, an unreleased audio recording surfaced where she doubled down on this. She explained that she didn't want to say "nude," but that the perfume was literally the only thing she had on. It was her way of being honest without being scandalous, though by today’s standards, it’s pretty tame.
The messy side of the mattress
Here is where things get a little less "Hollywood." According to some of her former housekeepers and biographers, the image of Marilyn Monroe in bed wasn't always clean.
Lena Pepitone, who worked for Marilyn, once claimed the star was a bit of a "slob" in her private time.
- She frequently ate in bed.
- Rumors say she would sometimes shove dirty plates or food scraps under the sheets.
- She’d spend hours lounging in a dark room, ignoring the mess around her.
This wasn't because she was "dirty" in a malicious way. Most historians point to her lifelong struggle with depression. When she was down, she stayed in bed. The bed was her sanctuary, her office, and sometimes her dining room. It’s a very human detail that makes her feel less like a statue and more like a real person.
📖 Related: Jaden Newman Leaked OnlyFans: What Most People Get Wrong
Her weird morning ritual
Marilyn didn't just sleep and eat in bed; she worked out there too. Sort of. She told Pageant magazine in 1952 that she couldn't stand "regimented" exercise.
Instead, she’d wake up and do a "bust-affirming" routine while still half-asleep. She kept two five-pound weights next to her bed. She’d lie on the floor or the mattress and lift them in a "spread eagle" motion 15 times, then another 15 times at a different angle.
Then she’d drink her famous "working girl" breakfast: two raw eggs whipped into a cup of warm milk. She’d drink it while getting dressed. No coffee, no avocado toast. Just raw eggs and milk.
Why the bed was her ultimate sanctuary
For a woman who spent her life being watched, the bed was the only place she could truly hide. She often slept five to ten hours a night, but on Sundays, she’d stay under the covers for hours. She called it "luxuriating in every last moment of drowsiness."
She used a heavy down comforter, even in the California heat. She wanted to feel weighted down and safe.
👉 See also: The Fifth Wheel Kim Kardashian: What Really Happened with the Netflix Comedy
The tragic final scene
We can't talk about Marilyn Monroe in bed without mentioning August 5, 1962. When she was found in her Brentwood home, she was in her bed. She was nude, clutching a telephone, with empty pill bottles on her nightstand.
It’s a haunting contrast to the Kirkland photos from just a year earlier. The bed that had been a place of legendary beauty and "luminous" photography became the site of her final, lonely moment.
Actionable insights from Marilyn’s routine
If you’re looking to channel a bit of that Monroe energy (the healthy parts, anyway), there are a few things you can actually take away from her habits:
- Invest in silk: Marilyn insisted on silk sheets for a reason. They stay cool and feel incredible against the skin. If you want to feel like a star, start with the bedding.
- Ditch the restrictive clothes: You don’t have to go full "five drops of Chanel," but switching to loose, natural fibers can actually improve your sleep quality.
- Take your time waking up: Marilyn’s "two-hour wake-up" is a luxury, but even five minutes of "luxuriating" before checking your phone can change your entire mood for the day.
- Embrace the mess (sometimes): If the world’s biggest icon had a messy bedroom when she was overwhelmed, you can forgive yourself for a few dirty dishes on the nightstand.
Marilyn Monroe was a complicated woman who lived a loud life, but she found her peace in the quiet of her bedroom. Whether she was posing for a world-class photographer or just hiding from the paparazzi, her bed was the one place where she was just Norma Jeane.
To really understand her, you have to look past the perfume and the silk and see the woman who just wanted a few more minutes of sleep.
Check your own sleep environment tonight. Is it a sanctuary or just a place you crash? Maybe it's time to add a little more "luminous" energy to your own routine.