The chilling reason Joe DiMaggio sent flowers to Marilyn Monroe’s grave for 20 years
The chilling reason Joe DiMaggio sent flowers to Marilyn Monroe’s grave for 20 years.
Marilyn Monroe, the iconic Hollywood star, and Joe DiMaggio, the legendary baseball player, shared a brief yet intense marriage.
Despite their highly publicized divorce, Joe’s deep affection for Marilyn endured long after her tragic death in 1962.
Marilyn Monroe, the iconic Hollywood star, and Joe DiMaggio, the legendary baseball player, shared a brief yet intense marriage.
Despite their highly publicized divorce, Joe’s deep affection for Marilyn endured long after her tragic death in 1962.
When Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio met on a blind date in 1952, a year after the Yankees legend retired from professional baseball, it was the beginning of a romance that would soon become one of Hollywood’s most famous love stories.
But their paths almost never crossed, as the blonde movie star was very hesitant to start dating Joltin’ Joe. Marilyn feared he might be that stereotypical, self-centered athlete. And unfortunately, her initial apprehensions about DiMaggio proved to be well-founded.
But let’s start from the beginning.
Chaotic wedding
Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio’s love story is considered epic because it brought together two of the most iconic figures of their time — Hollywood’s brightest star and baseball’s greatest hero.
Their wedding in San Francisco, in 1954, seemed like a fairytale come true, as it symbolized the pinnacle of Hollywood glamour and the American Dream.
The New York Times described their relationship as “one of America’s ultimate romantic fantasies: the tall, dark, and handsome baseball hero wooing and winning the woman who epitomized Hollywood beauty, glamour, and sexuality.”
Even though they were two of the most famous faces in the world, they were also just two normal people who happened to fall in love with each other.
Joe was a conservative Roman Catholic Italian boy who cherished the comfort of his close-knit family and home, while she was a free-spirited woman with a past shaped by foster homes. Hollywood’s glamorous life didn’t appeal to him, and baseball was a mystery to her, yet their paths crossed, and sparks flew.
”I expected a flashy New York sports type, and instead I met this reserved guy who didn’t make a pass at me right away,” Marilyn said of DiMaggio in Spoto’s 1993 biography of her. ”He treated me like something special.”
The famed ex-New York Yankee slugger saw Marilyn as ”a beautiful blonde showgirl who might double as a devoted mother and homemaker.”
Both came from previous marriages, and not everyone was thrilled about Marilyn and DiMaggio’s romance. The church, in particular, had plenty to say. As a result, their wedding was a bit more understated than it might have been if it were their first time tying the knot.
”That was something I had never planned on or dreamed about — becoming the wife of a great man. Anymore than Joe had ever thought of marrying a woman who seemed eighty per cent publicity. The truth is that we were very much alike. My publicity, like Joe’s greatness, is something on the outside. It has nothing to do with what we actually are,” Marilyn said.
”I don’t want to rush you..”
Back in 1954, weeks of speculation had surrounded the couple’s wedding plans, with the press buzzing about potential locations. Many believed the pair would exchange vows in the glitzy setting of Las Vegas.
However, the couple chose Joe DiMaggio’s hometown San Francisco, selecting Judge Charles S. Peery’s City Hall for their nuptials. Despite their efforts to keep the location under wraps, journalists managed to uncover the venue and gathered outside the building well before the couple’s arrival.
When Monroe and DiMaggio finally appeared, they were greeted by a throng of reporters and photographers. Ever the professional, Marilyn answered their questions. In contrast, the notoriously private DiMaggio remained reserved, offering few comments to the eager press.
“All right fellas, I don’t want to rush you,” DiMaggio said and continued: “but we’ve got to get on with the ceremony.”
The intimate ceremony, attended by a select few, saw the stars exchange their vows. But the real test came when they tried to leave City Hall.
Throngs of people nearly mobbed the newlyweds in the corridors, and outside, over 300 well-wishers had gathered, clamoring for autographs or just a glimpse of the superstar couple. Reporters were also desperate to know where DiMaggio and Monroe would spend their honeymoon. The Yankees star, however, gave a cryptic response before the couple hopped into a waiting Cadillac.
”North, south, west and east,” DiMaggio replied.
Later, it was revealed that the couple spent their honeymoon in Idyllwild, California, and then traveled to Japan.
