This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 9/24/2023
Marilyn Monroe Strands of Hair, DNA Authenticated. Used in Determining Father's Identity! CAG Encapsulated
Several strands of Marilyn Monroe's DNA authenticated hair, measuring approximately 1" and 1.5" in length. The locks rest on a swatch of black fabric within the slab for better visibility and cannot be viewed from the back. Encapsulated by CAG to the overall size of 2.375" x 3.375".
These same platinum blonde locks, originally collected by her embalmer, were featured in a new documentary entitled Marilyn: Her Final Secret (2022) directed by French filmmaker Francois Pomès in which a DNA test is conducted to confirm the identity of her father as Charles Stanley Gifford (1898-1965). Gifford, who worked with Monroe's mother Gladys Baker at RKO Pictures, was long-speculated as being the Hollywood icon's biological father. According to an article from Inside Edition regarding this revelation, a second sample of DNA from Gifford's granddaughter, Francine Gifford Deir, further corroborated the results of the hair as a match for Marilyn's. It is generally believed that, upon informing him of the pregnancy in 1925, Gifford broke off the affair with Baker who in turn used her ex-husband's name on the birth certificate in an attempt to hide the illegitimacy. The true identity of her father was kept a secret from Marilyn, who never met Gifford in her lifetime despite any efforts she made to make contact with him.
For more information, please see this article for reference:
https://www.insideedition.com/how-a-lock-of-marilyn-monroes-hair-led-to-discovery-of-her-fathers-identity-74738
Authentication: CAG Encapsulated and a Gotta Have Rock and Roll Certificate of Authenticity.