An X-Ray of Marilyn Monroe's Skull Tells the Story of Her Medical History

There are few stories less tragic than that of Marilyn Monroe.

Born in the city of Los Angeles, the actress was a product of an affair between her mother, Gladys Pearl Baker, and her co-worker Charles Stanley Gifford. Early in Marilyn’s childhood, her mother was committed to a mental hospital.

Marilyn spent her adolescent years moving from one foster home to the next as a ward of the state. At 16, she took her first husband and set her sights on the spotlight. It wasn’t long before she rose to fame, but the road to success wasn’t easy.

Netflix’s Blonde documents the life and times of the late bombshell. But there were a couple of questions left unanswered. All of us can agree that Marilyn was — and will always be — a timeless beauty. But did she have plastic surgery? Here’s what we know.

Although Marilyn’s medical history has been a topic of debate among fans for decades, the case was seemingly cracked years ago.

Per Allure, records uncovered by Los Angeles plastic surgeon Norman Leaf revealed that Marilyn had, in fact, gone under the knife for plastic surgery. But she used the alias Joan Newman to keep her identity under wraps.

According to Dr. Leaf, his mentor — Michael Gurdin — was one of the doctors entrusted with the job.

Gurdin's notes, as well as X-rays of Marilyn’s skull, confirm that the celebrity had surgery on her chin.

After Marilyn’s chin graft was made, it was reportedly put in by Gurdin's colleague, John Pangman. This claim was later substantiated by John Williams in an interview with the Daily Mail. However, later, she returned to the doctor’s office to have the implant replaced.

The medical records also confirm that Marilyn had a nose job, but the details of any other cosmetic procedures remain unclear.

In Dr. Leaf’s book, Are Those Real? True Tales of Plastic Surgery From Beverly Hills, he said that his late mentor often doted on his work and claimed to have seen Marilyn shortly before her death. "Gurdin had mentioned to me casually over the years that Marilyn had been a patient of his and that he had seen her shortly before she died,” the memoir reads.

There are also speculations that Marilyn had electrolysis to remove her widow’s peak, but there’s no concrete evidence that supports this speculation. The same goes for rumors about breast implants, which allegedly caused an infection. But what was Marilyn’s cause of death? Here’s what we know.

In 1962, Marilyn died of an apparent suicide. Upon investigation, authorities found evidence that she died of acute barbiturate poisoning. She was discovered by her housekeeper Eunice Murray, and her psychiatrist, Ralph Greenson.

Blonde is available for streaming now on Netflix.