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Writer's pictureAustin Distel

What happened to Marilyn Monroe?

Updated: Dec 8, 2022


Image of Marilyn Monroe

Marilyn Monroe was an American actress, model, and singer. She was one of the world's most popular cultural icons and is remembered for her films, her voice, and her fashion legacy.


In 1962, Monroe was found dead in her home from an overdose of barbiturates. Her death has been the subject of much speculation over the years, with many believing that it was not a suicide.


Regardless of the cause of her death, Monroe will always be remembered as one of Hollywood's brightest stars.


From the start of her last week, Marilyn was in a fragile state.


On Sunday, she made an appearance at a charity event at the Hollywood Bowl. She was visibly ill and had to be helped on and off stage. The following day, she was photographed going grocery shopping. She looked very pale and seemed to be having trouble walking.


On Wednesday, she had a meeting with her psychiatrist, Ralph Greenson. He later described her as looking "very bad - much worse than usual." She told him that she had taken an overdose of barbiturates earlier that day and he persuaded her to go to the hospital for treatment. However, she refused to go and checked herself into a hotel instead.


On Thursday, she met with her attorney, Jerry Giesler. They discussed her impending divorce from Arthur Miller and Giesler advised her to sign the papers as soon as possible. That evening, she hosted a party at her home. She appeared to be in good spirits and danced with guests until the early hours of the morning.

The following day, she was found dead in her home.

On the Evening of August 4, 1962

On the evening of Saturday, August 4, 1962, Marilyn Monroe died of a barbiturate overdose. She was found dead in her home at 12305 Fifth Helena Drive in Los Angeles, California. She was 36 years old.


Details of Marilyn Monroe's Death

Marilyn Monroe died of an overdose of barbiturates in her home on August 4, 1962.


The Los Angeles County Coroner's Office ruled her death an overdose and probable suicide. She was 36 years old at the time of her death.


Investigation and Autopsy of Marilyn Monroe

You may be wondering what happened to Marilyn Monroe after her death. Immediately after the body was found, authorities launched an investigation into her death and conducted an autopsy to determine the cause of death.


The autopsy concluded that Marilyn Monroe had died from a barbiturate overdose, late in the evening of Saturday, August 4, 1962, at her 12305 Fifth Helena Drive home in Los Angeles, California. Her death was ruled an overdose or probable suicide.


Theories Surrounding Her Death

You may be familiar with the official story that Marilyn Monroe died due to an acute barbiturate overdose in August 1962. The coroner's toxicology report stated the official cause of death was acute barbiturate intoxication. According to reports, the overdose included the drug pentobarbital (Nembutal).


However, to this day, many theories continue to circulate about what really happened on that fateful day. Some say she was murdered by her psychiatrist for not taking her antidepressants, while others claim she was accidentally given too much medication by her doctor or housekeeper.

Regardless, her death remains one of Hollywood’s biggest mysteries and continues to haunt us even today.


The Official Cause of Death

You may have heard before that Marilyn Monroe died of a barbiturate overdose late in the evening of Saturday, August 4, 1962. Her body was discovered shortly after dawn on Sunday, August 5. After an investigation into the circumstances of her death, the official cause of death was ruled an overdose and a “probable suicide.” At the time of her passing, she was 36 years old.


Questions That Still Remain

The autopsy report stated the cause of death to be “acute barbiturate poisoning” and gave the probable cause as “probable suicide”. It has since been widely accepted that Marilyn Monroe committed suicide, but the questions still remain: why did she take her own life? What happened in the hours before her death? Was she alone? Why was it ruled as a suicide rather than an accident? These are all questions that linger without definitive answers.


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