When you think of the 1950s and early '60s, two names immediately come to mind: Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor. They were both iconic beauties, reigning as the queens of Hollywood during their era. But were they really rivals, or was it all just media hype? In his book, Marilyn Monroe: The Private Life of a Public Icon, author Charles Casillo paints a different picture. He reveals that despite what the press tried to sell, Marilyn and Elizabeth weren’t actually competing with each other. In reality, these two legendary women barely knew each other personally, and there was no animosity between them.
A Moment of Solidarity
Now, here's where things get interesting. In 1962, 20th Century Fox was in the middle of a financial nightmare with Elizabeth Taylor's epic movie Cleopatra. The film was way over budget, and the studio was desperate to cut costs. In an effort to save money, they made a controversial decision: they fired Marilyn Monroe for alleged absences from the set of her final, unfinished film, Something’s Gotta Give. But here's the kicker—Marilyn didn’t see this as just a business move. She felt like she was being sacrificed so the studio could funnel more cash into Cleopatra.
Fast forward two decades, and Elizabeth Taylor opened up to a close friend about this exact situation. She admitted that during this tough time, she reached out to Marilyn to offer her support. Can you imagine the courage it took for Liz to do that? She even went as far as offering to publicly show her solidarity by quitting Cleopatra unless Marilyn was rehired. Now, that's what I call true friendship!
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Marilyn’s Response
But here's the twist: Marilyn, though deeply moved by Elizabeth's kindness, didn’t want to make things worse for either of them. She graciously declined the generous offer, understanding the potential consequences. Despite the challenging circumstances, Marilyn showed immense respect for Elizabeth's position and chose not to escalate the situation. It's moments like these that remind us how complex and compassionate these women truly were.
Elizabeth’s Advice to Marilyn
Even though Marilyn turned down Elizabeth’s offer, Liz didn’t stop there. She gave Marilyn some priceless advice that could have changed the course of her life. According to Casillo, Elizabeth told Marilyn, “No matter what they write about me, Marilyn, I never deny it. I never confirm it. I just keep smiling and walking forward. You do the same.” It's a powerful message, isn’t it? Unfortunately, Marilyn didn’t have the chance to fully embrace this advice. Her life was tragically cut short, leaving us to wonder what might have been.
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As we reflect on their lives, it's clear that Marilyn and Elizabeth had a mutual respect for each other, even if they didn’t interact much. For more fascinating stories about your favorite stars, grab the latest issue of Closer Weekly, available at newsstands now. And don’t forget to sign up for
