Kim Kardashian has slammed claims she damaged Marilyn Monroe's ionic 'Happy Birthday' dress by wearing it on the Met Gala 2022 red carpet.
In an interview with American morning show Today , the 41-year-old reality star scoffed when asked by hosts Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie if she had damaged the dress.
"No," Kardashian said, shaking her head.
"Ripley’s [and I] worked together so well. There were handlers and gloves that put it on me."
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The reality mogul went on to explain the careful steps she and her team went through so she could wear the glittering gown.
"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 added that she has 'respect' for Marilyn.
"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.
Her comments come following before-and-after photos taken 52 days apart by Monroe super fans detailing the stark differences to the dress.
Ripley's Believe It or Not! have addressed the backlash and have rushed to Kim's defence in a statement.
"Kim Kardashian wearing the ‘Happy Birthday’ dress has been hotly contested, but the fact remains that she did not, in any way, damage the garment in the short amount of time it was worn at the Met Gala," the statement said.
Ripley’s Vice President of Publishing and Licensing Amanda Joiner added: "From the bottom of the Met steps, where Kim got into the dress, to the top where it was returned, the dress was in the same condition it started in."
The iconic gown is worth millions, with dress owner Ripley Entertainment paying $5 million ($AUD 7.1m, £4m) to acquire it in 2016.
Yet after Kardashian wore she was accused by collectors of leaving the gown 'hanging by a thread'.
Collector Scott Fortner has suggested the reality star damaged the gown as she struggled to fit the gown over her famous assets.
"Just in case you missed it - missing crystals, and some left hanging by a thread," Fortner said.
“Ripley's Believe It or Not, was it worth it?”
Topics: Kim Kardashian, Kardashians, Celebrity, TV and Film
Rachel Lang