Were the Kennedys Responsible for Marilyn Monroe’s Death? | S5E11

Welcome back to another deep dive on The Unofficial Official Story Podcast! Since it’s February and right around Presidents’ Day, we decided to honor John F. Kennedy by… talking about his affairs. This week, we are tackling what is arguably the most famous "suspicious death" in history.

The Official Story On August 5th, 1962, Marilyn Monroe was found dead in her Los Angeles home. She was discovered lying naked on her bed with a telephone in one hand, surrounded by empty pill bottles. The official ruling was suicide by overdose. However, for decades, many have believed that Robert Kennedy, JFK, or both of them were somehow involved.

The Unofficial Theories It is widely alleged that Monroe had sexual affairs with one or both of the Kennedy brothers. In the hours leading up to her death, she made several phone calls referencing these relationships, including telling a friend that she was "very much in love and was going to marry Bobby Kennedy," but that he had suddenly "cut her off cold."

Things get even more suspicious when you look at the timeline. Private investigator Fred Otash, who had wired Monroe's house, captured a recording of an argument between her and Robert Kennedy on the very night she died. Monroe's maid also confirmed that he had been at the house that day.

But was it a crime of passion, or was it about national security? The FBI had been keeping a file on Monroe, tracking her leftist political activities. During a lunch with JFK, the two reportedly discussed nuclear weapons. In the height of the Cold War, this kind of pillow talk would have been incredibly valuable to Soviet intelligence, making Monroe a massive liability.

What We Discuss in the Episode This week, Cat, Dwayne, Koji, and our special guest look at the means, motive, and opportunity. Could Monroe's death have been a frantic cover-up for state secrets, or just a tragic overdose that the Kennedys desperately tried to distance themselves from?

We break down the evidence and, of course, ask the hard-hitting questions, like: Is "Nuclear Armageddon" really a good topic to bring up when you’re trying to seduce a President? And if you had to sing a song to a world leader to get state secrets, what are you singing?

Tune in to figure out what really maybe happened, and hear us pick the ultimate Unofficial Official story!

🎧 Listen to the full episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your audio!