Why Marilyn Monroe's Death Still Provokes Mystery

Fans are still full of questions about Marilyn Monroe's life, and death, following the release of Netflix film Blonde.

The highly-anticipated, and much-delayed, movie stars Ana de Armas as the legendary movie star and is based on the novel by Joyce Carol Oates.

Blonde contains a fictionalized version of events from Monroe's life and has sparked confusion over several aspects of the star's history, including the identity of her father and her relationship with Charlie Chaplin Jr., the son of legendary actor Charlie Chaplin.

The film ends with Monroe's tragic death in 1962, an event that has sparked much ambiguity and controversy in the 60 years since.

Newsweek has everything you need to know about Marilyn Monroe's death and why it is still seen as such a mystery by some.

How Did Marilyn Monroe Die?

Marilyn Monroe was found dead in her Los Angeles home the morning of August 5, 1962. She was only 36.

The coroner's toxicology report stated the official cause of death was acute barbiturate poisoning caused by an overdose of sleeping pills, per Parade.

The publication adds that the possibility that the death was accidental was ruled out as the dosage in Monroe's system was well over the lethal limit.

Why is Marilyn Monroe's Death Seen As a Mystery?

Monroe's death still provokes mystery as, almost immediately after news of her death broke, rumors of foul play began to circulate.

These rumors have persisted, even now, decades after her passing, and in 1982 the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office even began looking into whether there was enough evidence to support opening a criminal investigation.

No credible evidence to support the idea that Monroe was murdered was found but rumors and theories suggesting there was more to the star's death still circulate to this day.

The CIA

In Norman Mailer's 1973 biography of Monroe, he speculated that she was killed by either the FBI or CIA to put pressure on the Kennedys.

Monroe was romantically involved with Robert Kennedy, U.S. Attorney General at the time, and she was also rumored to have been involved with President John F. Kennedy when he was a senator. Mailer's theory alleges that the CIA arranged to have Monroe killed because the brothers shared state secrets with her.

Mailer later publicly retracted his theory and no evidence exists to support it.

The Mafia

In a 1982 book titled Marilyn Monroe: Murder Cover-Up, written by private investigator Milo Speriglio, it is alleged that Jimmy Hoffa and mob boss Sam Giancana killed Monroe.

A decade later in 1992, Giancana's brother, Sam, and godson, Chuck, published their own book Double Cross, in which it is alleged that Giancana accepted a contract from the CIA to kill Monroe because of her involvement with Robert Kennedy.

There is no evidence to support this theory.

The Kennedys

In the 1960s book The Strange Death of Marilyn Monroe by Frank A. Capell, it is suggested that John or Robert Kennedy ordered Monroe's death themselves. Again, there is no evidence to support this.

In the Netflix documentary The Mystery of Marilyn Monroe, Anthony Summers suggests that while Robert Kennedy was not involved in Monroe's death, he may have been partially responsible for covering up some key details in the press.

Summers' research into Monroe's death suggests that Kennedy was at the actress' house on the day she died. A reporter claimed, at the time, to have found evidence of this visit, but was allegedly encouraged by Kennedy's "people" not to run the story.

The FBI

In The Mystery of Marilyn Monroe it is also suggested that there are a number of discrepancies between the official story about Marilyn Monroe's death given to the press by the FBI and private accounts of what happened given by those who were there, such as an ambulance driver called to Monroe's house.

Summers also suggest that men "claiming to be FBI" seized photos of Monroe and the Kennedys from at least one agency after Monroe's death. A former FBI agent also gives an interview where he claims to know that records of the affairs between Monroe and the Kennedys were removed by the FBI.

Blonde is available to stream on Netflix now.