Marilyn Monroe was born Norma Jeane Mortenson in Los Angeles and later took her mother's surname, Baker. Her mother was frequently confined in an asylum, and Norma Jeane was reared by 12 successive sets of foster parents and, for a time, in an orphanage.

Who were the foster parents of Monroe?

Norma Jean Mortenson was born in Los Angeles, California to Gladys Monroe Baker, who worked in the film industry as a film cutter. Gladys Baker suffered from post-natal depression and neglected her baby, putting the three-month-old into foster care with Ida Bolender who took in other foster children.

Was Marilyn Monroe in an orphanage as a child?

Monroe spent her childhood in various orphanages and foster homes, where she allegedly faced sexual abuse and emotional distress. Moving in with family friend Grace McKee Goddard at age 11 changed her fate.

Why was Marilyn Monroe raised in foster care?

Marilyn Monroe

Her childhood started out living with her mother, a single parent, battling against the judgements of having a child outside of marriage. Life was a struggle, her mother declared legally insane and Marilyn was sent to an orphanage for two years.

How long was Marilyn in foster care?

Her mother was declared legally insane and was admitted into an insane asylum. Marilyn then spent the next two years in an orphanage before living with a family friend for four years. But Marilyn's early life had even more serious problems. She suffered greatly because she never knew her father.

Marilyn Monroe House: Where She Lived And Died

What childhood trauma did Marilyn Monroe have?

The first major trauma viewers see is Monroe's mother trying to drown her in a bathtub; other traumas include being abandoned by her father, being placed in orphanages and foster homes as a child, and being raped as a young adult.

How many orphanages did Marilyn Monroe have?

For instance, Monroe had a challenging childhood, spent in 10 foster homes and two orphanages; her mother, Gladys, suffered from paranoid schizophrenia and was admitted to a mental health facility for most of her adolescence.

How did Marilyn Monroe get out of foster care?

In spite of the adoption she lived in a series of nine more foster homes and an orphanage until she married for the first time at 16 in order to get out of the care system which had so seriously failed her.

Was Marilyn Monroe a natural blonde?

The movie shows us a young Monroe before she legally adopted her stage name in 1956, and in those scenes, we see her with her natural hair color. Given Monroe's title of "blonde bombshell," maybe people are surprised to learn that the star's real hair color was more of a light brown.

What are 5 facts about Marilyn Monroe?

What was the childhood of Marilyn Monroe?

Monroe was born as Norma Jeane Mortenson in Los Angeles in 1926, and brought up by Christian foster parents because her mother Gladys was mentally unable to raise a child. She later became a ward of the state, living with allegedly abusive family friends, and then in an orphanage.

What did Marilyn Monroe call herself instead of an orphan?

In The Mystery of Marilyn Monroe, Monroe in one of her tapes reflects on her childhood. She states: "I'm not calling myself an orphan. I was bought up a waif. Yeah, I was never used to being happy.

What age did Marilyn Monroe become an orphan?

Marilyn Monroe was never an orphan — and maintained a relationship with her mother until her death. In 1942, Marilyn was almost placed back in foster care since Grace was leaving the area. To avoid this, the then 16-year-old blond bombshell married Grace's neighbor's son, James Dougherty, who was five years older.

When did Marilyn Monroe go to an orphanage?

Aunt Grace cared for the young girl for about a year until she lost her job with Columbia Pictures and could no longer afford to do so. On September 13, 1935, she was forced to bring Norma Jeane to the Los Angeles Orphans Home Society – Hollygrove's original name – where she became the orphanage's 3,463rd ward.

How many orphanages did Marilyn Monroe have?

For instance, Monroe had a challenging childhood, spent in 10 foster homes and two orphanages; her mother, Gladys, suffered from paranoid schizophrenia and was admitted to a mental health facility for most of her adolescence.

How did Marilyn Monroe get out of foster care?

In spite of the adoption she lived in a series of nine more foster homes and an orphanage until she married for the first time at 16 in order to get out of the care system which had so seriously failed her.

Was Marilyn Monroe a natural blonde?

The movie shows us a young Monroe before she legally adopted her stage name in 1956, and in those scenes, we see her with her natural hair color. Given Monroe's title of "blonde bombshell," maybe people are surprised to learn that the star's real hair color was more of a light brown.

What are 5 facts about Marilyn Monroe?

What nationality was Marilyn Monroe?

Marilyn Monroe (born Norma Jeane Mortenson; June 1, 1926 – August 4, 1962) was an American actress, writer, model, singer and filmmaker. Famous for playing comic "blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s. Los Angeles, California, U.S.

Why did Marilyn Monroe call herself a waif?

A look at the burial spot of Marilyn Monroe

The word waif is formally defined as "a person, especially a child, who has no home or friends," per Dictionary. While growing up, Marilyn lived in and out of foster homes and spent two years in an orphanage.

Why is Marilyn Monroe called Norma?

While most people knew Marilyn by her stage name, the star was actually born Norma Jeane Mortenson and baptized Norma Jeane Baker. When she married her first husband, James Dougherty, in 1942, she took his last name and became Norma Jeane Dougherty.

Where was Marilyn Monroe found dead?

Screen icon Marilyn Monroe has been found dead in bed at her Los Angeles home. The 36-year-old actress' body was discovered in the early hours of this morning by two doctors who were called to her Brentwood home by a concerned housekeeper.

Did Marilyn Monroe have a traumatic childhood?

Born Norma Jean Baker in Los Angeles on June 1, 1926, to a single mother, she endured a difficult childhood that consisted of several foster homes, a few stays in an orphanage, as well as a couple of instances when she would be returned to the care of her troubled mother, who spent most of her adult life in and out of ...

What happened to Marilyn Monroe first baby?

She miscarried each time. 1956: Marilyn's first known pregnancy ends in a miscarriage. 1957: Marilyn gets pregnant again, but the pregnancy is ectopic, meaning the fertilized egg attaches to the outside of the uterus and cannot survive, per the Mayo Clinic.