Marilyn Monroe Facts: Diagnosis, Last Words & Unanswered Questions

Marilyn Monroe remains one of the most iconic figures of the 20th century, but her life is often buried under layers of myth. From her mental health and last words to her pregnancies and burial, separating verified fact from rumor takes careful digging. Here’s what the records actually tell us—and what they don’t.

Full Name: Norma Jeane Mortenson ·
Born: June 1, 1926 ·
Died: August 5, 1962 ·
Age at Death: 36 ·
Height: 5’5″ (165 cm) ·
Number of Films: 29

Six key facts, one pattern: the official records are consistent on the basics but leave the most-asked questions open.

What was Marilyn Monroe diagnosed with?

Mental health issues

• Monroe suffered from depression and anxiety, and she underwent psychiatric treatment with Dr. Ralph Greenson in her final months (Biography.com (biographical publisher)).
• The PBS NewsHour reports that she likely had bipolar disorder, though this is not an official contemporaneous diagnosis (PBS NewsHour (public broadcaster)).
• Britannica notes she also had endometriosis, a gynecological condition (Encyclopaedia Britannica (authoritative reference)).

Was she diagnosed with borderline personality disorder?

No official diagnosis of borderline personality disorder (BPD) is confirmed in historical records. The label is sometimes applied in retrospect by pop psychology, but it has no basis in primary documents. The only known psychiatric contacts involved mood and substance-use treatment.

The implication: the public record cannot support any specific label, so readers should treat pop-psychology certainty with caution.

What were Marilyn Monroe’s last words before she died?

What did she say to Joe DiMaggio?

According to some accounts, her reported last words to Joe DiMaggio were “Goodnight, Joe.” This is widely repeated but lacks a primary source—it appears in biographies without citation.

What was her last phone call?

On the night of August 4, 1962, Monroe spoke with friend Peter Lawford. A 2022 Yahoo Lifestyle article quotes Lawford’s recollection that she said, “Say goodbye to Pat, and say goodbye to Jack … and say goodbye to yourself, because you’re a nice guy” (Yahoo Lifestyle (entertainment news)). The New York Times obituary noted that police reported she left no suicide note (The New York Times (major newspaper)).

The catch: no primary source exists for either version, so any claim of “final words” is anecdote, not fact.

How many pregnancies did Marilyn Monroe have?

Did she have children?

Monroe did not have any live births. Britannica states she was pregnant several times during her marriage to Arthur Miller, but two pregnancies ended in miscarriage and one was an ectopic pregnancy (Encyclopaedia Britannica (authoritative reference)). Wikipedia’s biography adds that she had an ectopic pregnancy in mid-1957 and a miscarriage a year later (Wikipedia (community encyclopedia)).

How many miscarriages did she have?

Between two sources—Britannica and Wikipedia—the consensus is at least two miscarriages and one ectopic pregnancy. The exact number is not fully documented because medical records from that era are not publicly available in detail.

What did Albert Einstein say about Marilyn Monroe?

Did they meet?

Yes, they reportedly met at a party in the 1950s. The anecdote is that Einstein told her, “I hope you have a great future,” and commented on her intelligence. There is no verifiable recording or written correspondence; the story lives in biographies and secondhand accounts.

What did Einstein tell her?

The quote “I hope you have a great future” is the most commonly cited. No primary source—such as Einstein’s letters or diaries—confirms the exchange. It remains a charming but unverified urban legend.

Who is buried on top of Marilyn Monroe?

Where is her crypt?

Marilyn Monroe is interred at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles. Hugh Hefner, the founder of Playboy, purchased the crypt directly above her—he was buried there in 2017. Other celebrities, including Farrah Fawcett and Dean Martin, are also buried nearby.

Who else is nearby?

Other notable interments at Westwood Village include Burt Lancaster, Roy Orbison, and Truman Capote. The cemetery is a popular tourist destination for fans of classic Hollywood.

For readers who want to separate truth from legend, the pattern is clear: the core facts—birth, death, marriage, career—are well-documented. The gray areas—diagnosis, last words, intimate relationships—are where speculation thrives. The evidence suggests that Monroe’s life was ordinary in its struggles and extraordinary only in its public exposure. The implication: treat every sensational claim with the same skepticism you’d apply to any secondhand story, and trust the coroner’s report, the census records, and the biographies that cite them.

Related reading: Billie Holiday Biography: Death, Strange Fruit, Legacy · Roy Orbison: Tragedies, Sunglasses, and Unmarked Grave

Frequently asked questions