Kim Kardashian reveals her only regret from the Marilyn Monroe Met Gala moment

Kim Kardashian has revealed she has one major regret about her controversial 2022 Met Gala appearance, but it is not the vintage dress she wore.

In a post-credits scene from the November 27 episode of The Kardashians, the 45-year-old admitted she wishes she had chosen a different hairstyle to pair with Marilyn Monroe’s iconic “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” dress.

Kardashian said she now believes her natural dark hair would have been better suited to the historical moment, rather than the ultra-blonde look she debuted at the event. She described the decision to go blonde as a mistake, adding that people had warned her it could make her look like a wax figure version of Monroe.

“I should’ve been, like, dark, Jackie O vibes,” she said, explaining that she later used photo editing to visualise how different hair colours would have looked with the gown. She also joked that she had since “tortured” her hairstylist, Chris Appleton, over the choice.

The crystal-covered gauze column dress was designed by Jean Louis and was worn by Monroe in 1962 during her famous performance for President John F. Kennedy. The gown originally cost $12,000 and was so fitted that Monroe had to be sewn into it.

Ripley’s purchased the dress at Julien’s Auctions in November 2016 for $4.81 million, making it one of the most expensive dresses ever sold.

Kardashian’s decision to wear the historic garment at the 2022 Met Gala sparked significant backlash. Critics accused her of risking damage to an important cultural artefact and highlighted her extreme diet in the lead-up to the event, during which she lost 16 lbs in three weeks to fit into the dress.

At the time, fashion history professor Dr Justine De Young called the decision “irresponsible and unnecessary”, noting that a replica could have been used instead without putting the original at risk.

Following the event, online users claimed the dress had been damaged. Kardashian later denied this in a lie detector video for Vanity Fair alongside her All’s Fair co-star Teyana Taylor. During the exchange, she insisted she had not harmed the garment and said it was returned in perfect condition.

Ripley’s also dismissed any claims of damage. Amanda Joiner, the company’s vice-president of publishing and licensing, confirmed that from the moment Kardashian stepped onto the Met steps to the time the dress was returned, it remained in the same condition.

Kardashian added that, in hindsight, she wished she had channelled Jackie Kennedy, the wife of the president Monroe had serenaded, rather than trying to replicate Monroe’s exact look.