Most Of Those “Marilyn Monroe” Quotes Are Fake, Here’s What She Did (And Didn’t) Say

So many fake Marilyn quotes float around the internet presented as fact, and it makes me absolutely insane. I’ve written about it before. But since today is the 52nd anniversary of her death, I’m seeing them even more. Do a little research before you post that graphic with its fake quote on your Instagram page. I think her real quotes are far more relatable and thoughtful than anything I see on Pinterest or Facebook.


Marilyn did NOT say: “A girl doesn’t need anyone who doesn’t need her.”

She DID say: “The real lover is the man who can thrill you by just touching your head or smiling into your eyes – or just staring into space.”

Marilyn did NOT say: “Give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world.” Bette Midler did.

She DID say: “I don’t know who invented high heels, but all women owe him a lot.”

Marilyn did NOT say: “Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it’s better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.”

She DID say: “I am good, but not an angel. I do sin, but I am not the devil. I am just a small girl in a big world trying to find someone to love.”

Marilyn did NOT say: “I’m selfish, impatient, and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I’m out of control, and at times hard to handle. But if you can’t handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don’t deserve me at my best.” This one is my ultimate nemesis! Marilyn was not a member of the “Bad Girls Club.”

She DID say: “Hollywood is a place where they’ll pay you a thousand dollars for a kiss and fifty cents for your soul.”

Marilyn did NOT say: “Well-behaved women rarely make history.” LOL, no. This was actually by a woman named Laurel Thatcher Ulrich.

She DID say: “I don’t mind living in a man’s world as long as I can be a woman in it.”

Marilyn did NOT say: “Nothing lasts forever, so live it up, drink it down, laugh it off, avoid the drama, take chances and never have regrets. Because at one point everything you did was exactly what you wanted.” No. No, no, no. Quotes like these paint Marilyn as some sort of destructive, party-girl mess, a ‘50s Paris Hilton, which wasn’t true in the slightest.

She DID say: “I think that sexuality is only attractive when it’s natural and spontaneous. This is where a lot of them miss the boat. And then something I’d just like to spout off on. We are all born sexual creatures, thank God, but it’s a pity so many people despise and crush this natural gift. Art, real art, comes from it, everything.”

And a few more smart, insightful quotes for good measure:

“A sex symbol becomes a thing. I just hate to be a thing. But if I’m going to be a symbol of something I’d rather have it be sex than some other things they’ve got symbols of.”

“Fame will go by, and, so long, I’ve had you fame. If it goes by, I’ve always known it was fickle. So at least it’s something I experienced, but that’s not where I live.”

“Men are climbing to the moon, but they don’t seem interested in the beating human heart.”