The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe

Marilyn Divorces Joe

She knew what she had to do—but that didn’t make it any easier for her. The much-reported story is that she called her attorney, Jerry Geisler, and told him that she wanted a divorce. However, Marybeth Cooke worked for Geisler at the time and she tells a different story. She recalled, “We all knew that Marilyn Monroe was still crazy in love with Joe, but that he was beating her up. Still, she did not want to let him go. I have to say—and Jerry would not have wanted anyone to know this at the time—that Marilyn called him from New York and told him that she might want a separation from Joe, but she wasn’t sure. When she got back to Los Angeles, she was not calling Jerry to ask him to file divorce papers. She thought maybe he knew someone who could talk to Joe and make things better. She was desperate to find a way to save her marriage. It was Jerry who said, ‘Look, I like you a lot, Marilyn. As a friend, I have to tell you—you have to get this creep out of your house.’ That was not like Jerry. He represented the biggest names in Hollywood and never injected his personal opinions. But with Marilyn Monroe, it was different. When he found out what was going on, he was very upset, I remember him saying, ‘God damn it, I’m a big fan of Joe DiMaggio’s, too. Or at least I was a fan.’ ”

On October 4, Jerry Geisler—middle-aged, stout of frame, and balding above a ruddy face—was ready to serve “Joltin’ Joe” DiMaggio with divorce papers. Marybeth Cooke continued: “I remember him saying, ‘Christ, almighty, I just called Marilyn to ask her where Joe was so I could serve him myself out of respect and guess where he is? At home with her!’ It turned out he was still living in the same house, though I believe in separate bedrooms, or maybe on separate floors. He went to the house and gave Joe the papers. He told me DiMaggio glanced at the papers, said, ‘Thanks a lot,’ popped a beer, and then went back to watching television. When he got back to the office, Jerry sank into a chair and looked drained. I asked him, ‘Are you okay?’ He said, ‘I just told Joe DiMaggio that Marilyn Monroe is divorcing him. How do you think I feel?’ I think at about that same time, he and Marilyn sent a memo to Darryl Zanuck telling him that DiMaggio wasn’t allowed on the property. So, it was really over.

“The next morning was chaos at Marilyn’s home on Palm Drive in Beverly Hills. I had to meet Jerry there and give him some papers, but I couldn’t even get into the house there was so much media in front of it, just camped out and waiting for the next shoe to drop. I finally got into the house and it was just teeming with people. It was also a mess. I couldn’t believe the clutter—it looked as if it hasn’t been tidied up—ever! There was food left out in the kitchen and on plates in the living room. There were crushed, empty beer cans on the floor… clothes strewn about… ashtrays filled with cigarettes… I mean it was really a pigpen. Someone who worked for Marilyn—I can’t recall who wouldn’t let me upstairs to her room, where I knew Jerry was. I was told she was too sick to be disturbed, or, as it was put to me, ‘She has taken to her sick bed.’ So, I left. I spoke to Jerry that night, who told me, ‘The kid is sick, she’s on drugs, she’s sad… she’s a mess.’ The next day was the press conference. I didn’t go. It was a zoo.”

Marilyn Monroe emerged from her home on the morning of October 6 to meet the press wearing an all-black ensemble: a skintight black sweater with a matching gabardine skirt and heels along with a black leather belt. She leaned on Jerry Geisler for support as he told the assembled reporters that “Miss Monroe will have nothing to say to you this morning. As her attorney, I am speaking for her and can only say that the conflict of careers has brought about this regrettable necessity.” While reporters shouted questions at her, Marilyn seemed ready to faint. “I can’t say anything today,” she said, her voice almost a whisper. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” She then broke down and began to cry, her head on the attorney’s shoulder. Never in any reporter’s fantasy could the scene have been any more melodramatic—and newsworthy. Even when she didn’t intend it, Marilyn Monroe always gave a good show. Photographs from that brief press conference appeared all over the world that night and the next day. It wasn’t an act. “She was at the end of her rope that day,” said Marybeth Cooke. “Jerry had to take her straight to a doctor’s office where she was given more pills to get through the rest of that day. Then he took her back to her house where she went right to bed. She didn’t want to speak to anyone. I remember thinking, this girl is only twenty-eight. How much longer can she endure this kind of life?”

Indeed, Marilyn was very difficult to reach during this difficult time and even her beloved half sister, Berniece, could not get through to her. Therefore, on October 8, she sent her a letter:

Dear Marilyn,

The news about you and Joe came as a shock and we were very sorry to hear it. I know you are lonely—do try and come visit us and it may help you over the cloud. You are very busy and all, but if you could fly here for a few days I’m sure you would feel better. We three are just the same as when you saw us last, except a little fatter and older, ha ha. Mona Rae is very busy in school and loves it. She is trying hard to become a cheerleader for the football team this year. We love you loads and hope to see you soon.

Your sister,

Berniece

If Berniece had known of some of the bizarre situations unfolding in her half sister’s life, she might have tried even harder to get her to Detroit. However, Marilyn was keeping a lot of the sadness of her life from Berniece. First, she didn’t want to worry her. Second, she just didn’t want her to have the information in case any reporter ever tried to trick it out of her. Every time she talked to Berniece, she would say the same thing to her before ending the call: “Please promise me that you won’t give out stories about me.” One might have thought, given all they shared, that Berniece would be the last person Marilyn would feel she’d have to worry about in terms of discretion. However, that wasn’t the case. A sister of Jim Dougherty’s gave a story about Marilyn to the press, and even though it would be flattering, Marilyn would still be very unhappy about it. It was getting to the point where she felt she couldn’t trust anyone.