A lock of blonde hair has paved the way to solve one of the mysteries about the life of one of the most iconic stars of all time, Marilyn Monroe. There have always been speculations about the parentage of the blonde star. The details about Monroe’s mother are known. And now her father’s identity is also found. He is Charles Stanley Gifford.
It is an investigative documentary, ‘Marilyn, Her Final Secret’ that sheds light on the identity of Monroe’s biological father, whom she never met. At the dawn of her career, Monroe had hidden the identity of her mother, until figured out by a journalist. But on the other Monroe was always in want to find her father, who however did not want to see her.
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Finding Charles Stanley Gifford
The bombshell of the 50s and 60s, Marilyn Monroe created waves during those days. From blockbuster movies to her flawless appearance, Norma Jeane Mortenson is still a celebrated and mysterious figure. Monroe had a very tumultuous childhood. With an unknown father and schizophrenic mother, Monroe had spent most of her life in foster homes and orphanages.
Monroe, on her birth certificate, was named after her mother’s husband, Martin Edward Mortensen, with a slight difference in the spelling. He was also named the father on the certificate. But he was not her biological father. It was rumored that her mother’s boss Charles Stanley Gifford was Monroe’s father even during those days. Gladys Pearl Monroe was a film cutter, and Charles was her shift foreman at Consolidated Film Industries. It was the physical similarity between Charles and Monroe that led to the belief that he was her father.
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Handwritten Note From Stanley Gifford Being Auctioned
“This is the only known documented evidence of a relationship between Monroe and Gifford, which solves the mystery of whether or not she knew or had contact with her biological father,” said Scott Fortner, a Marilyn Monroe historian/collector. The card given by Stanley Gifford to his famous daughter had a pre-written note in it. To this, he added the message, “a little prayer too” and ended with a sign that said “Stanley Gifford, Red Rock Dairy Farm, Hemet, Calif.” The father and daughter had a very strained relationship. Gifford was never part of her life. Maybe Stanley Gifford probably didn’t want to upset his wife and children.
The documentary ‘Marilyn, Her Final Secret’ also confirms the identity of Monroe’s biological father. “The hair that we used from Monroe was collected by the person who embalmed her body the day she died and we were able to draw up 22 percent of her genetic profile from that thanks to a DNA fragment found in the keratin,” says the documentary director Francois Pomès. Gifford’s great-grandchild also provided a saliva sample that helped to confirm the conclusion. Finally, the secret that Monroe was aware of has reached the world.
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