The Story of Marilyn Monroe and Robert Slatzer, Who Claimed That He Was Briefly Married to Her

Robert Slatzer wrote a book called “The Life and Curious Death of Marilyn Monroe” published in 1974. Although the book is of value to fans, much of what is in the book that isn’t common knowledge or verifiable through public records, seems to be fabrication.

Robert Slatzer claims he met Norma Jeane Baker, a young model, in the summer of 1946 in the lobby of Twentieth Century-Fox Studios while he was doing interviews with movie celebrities. According to Slatzer they began a long relationship that led to the pair marrying in Mexico on October 4, 1952.

In 1952 Marilyn was dating Joe DiMaggio. Marilyn and Joe met early 1951 and were married in January 1954. Slatzer met Marilyn during the filming of Niagara and had some photos taken with her, that’s pretty much it, there’s no evidence that they would have met again afterwards. Slatzer also came up with the lie that he had taken some photos of Marilyn on the set of Something’s Got To Give when in fact the photos in question were by James Mitchell, Fox set photographer. But the biggest lie he came up with was that they were secretly married in Mexico on October 4, 1952. There’s no evidence to back up his claim. Conveniently he didn’t have any documentation to provide as proof of marriage – how could he as the wedding never took place. Marilyn was in fact in Los Angeles that day and even wrote a Bank of America cheque for USD 313 on the same day. This directly contradicts Slatzer’s marriage claims as Marilyn was seen in Beverly Hill by several eye witnesses when she went shopping at Jaxx with Natasha Lytess.

Why would Marilyn marry Slatzer when she had the likes of Joe DiMaggio and Arthur Miller knocking on her door? The answer is simply she didn’t marry him but it made him a great deal of money and a good story for his two books; “The Marilyn Files” (1992) and “The Life and Curious Death of Marilyn Monroe” (1974). Interestingly, he only claimed that they were married AFTER Marilyn had died! Marilyn might have had something to say about it if he would have said something earlier… Slatzer also was behind the ridiculous rumor that Marilyn had an affair with Bobby Kennedy. Marilyn had met Bobby Kennedy but they certainly didn’t have an affair!

Conclusion: Slatzer was never married to Marilyn Monroe. He didn’t even know Marilyn. The evidence shows that they only met once during the filming of Niagara (see photos). Fred D. Pfening, Jr, who edited Bandwagon took the photos of Marilyn and Slatzer on the roof of the hotel.

He wasn’t Marilyn’s ‘close friend.’ None of Marilyn’s close friends, such as Whitey and hairdresser Gladys Rasmussen, who knew and worked with Marilyn over several decades knew of him. Slatzer’s name has not been found in any of Marilyn’s address books.