Elle Fanning Proves She’s The Original Marilyn Monroe Super Fan
It’s been a month since Kim Kardashian caused quite the stir at the Met Gala when she wore Marilyn Monroe’s “Happy Birthday Mr. President” to walk the carpeted steps, yet conversation around the moment has only just begun to lose momentum. Part of its perseverance is thanks to Kardashian herself, who continues to post more updates about her Monroe obsession every time people begin to move on. Just last week, Ripley’s Believe It or Not posted a photo of Kardashian in front of the now-controversial dress, which prompted yet another wave of angry commenters. And now, just when you thought maybe we could finally end this dialogue once and for all, fate has stepped in, as today is what would have been Monroe’s 96th birthday.
Kardashian will likely use this opportunity to post more about her love for the late actress and, of course, the dress, but in the meantime, another celebrity is stepping in to reclaim the title of Monroe super fan from the reality star. On Wednesday, Elle Fanning paid tribute to the actress, who she called her “forever icon.” In an Instagram post, Fanning showed off a short, chin-length finger waved bob in a platinum blonde hue. Fanning admitted she didn’t realize the date until after she already put on the Monroe-esque wig.
It’s unclear why Fanning decided to don the wig today. It’s possible it was for a role, or maybe the spirit of Monroe compelled her to play a little dress up. While Monroe has been the center of public conversation as of late, Fanning’s own love for the actress is nothing new. When she was just seven years old Fanning fell in love with Monroe after seeing a photo of the actress for the first time. “I didn’t know that she was such a big icon,” Fanning told Scarlett Johansson while chatting for Interview in 2014. “But I would just look at her and I was mesmerized. She was beautiful and so... truthful. She’s not faking it.” Fanning’s dad then bought her the DVD of The Seven Year Itch, which prompted the young actress to dress in the iconic white dress from the film for a Halloween fundraiser later that year.
And while Kardashian may now have a lock of Monroe’s hair, Fanning has her own pieces of memorabilia. In a 2011 Rookie interview with Tavi Gevinson, Fanning admitted she once bought face cream and powder previously owned by Monroe at an auction. “I have that in my room,” she said. “It’s literally the best thing ever. The lotion on it is sort of glued shut but the powder, some of it’s still in there.”
Her love for the actress clearly manifests itself in many ways, including through her clothing. Back in 2019, Fanning was seen out in New York City wearing a Loewe set with Monroe’s face plastered across the top and skirt. At the InStyle Awards two years earlier, she wore a Versace spring 2018 dress and shoes covered in Andy Warhol’s prints of Monroe.
It’s interesting, then, that Fanning stayed quiet over the past month as archivists, designers, and Twitter users alike discussed the ethics of Kardashian wearing Monroe’s dress on the Met red carpet. Clearly, she didn’t want to get involved, but now, with just three simple selfies, Fanning is re-entering the Monroe conversation and reminding us that she is the original fan girl.
