Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio Had a Complicated Romance — Here's the Timeline

There’s no denying that Marilyn Monroe was one of the most desirable Hollywood legends of all time. The blond bombshell captivated audiences with her stunning looks, acting skills, and sensual vocals, while also catching the eye of many bachelors during her time.

While Marilyn dated a slew of men in the entertainment world and was reportedly rumored to have an affair with a U.S. president — we’re looking at you John F. Kennedy — the beauty’s relationship with a certain baseball center fielder continues to be a hot topic. Yes, we’re talking about New York Yankees legend Joe DiMaggio.

Whispers about the demise of Marilyn and Joe’s marriage continue to surface, especially with the Netflix’s documentary, The Mystery of Marilyn Monroe: The Unheard Tapes, and fictionalized feature film about Marilyn, Blonde. Fans want the tea on the pair’s love story, and we’re here to oblige.

Here’s the 4-1-1 on Marilyn Monroe and Joe Dimaggio’s relationship timeline.

According to WWD, Joe, like every other man walking the face of the Earth at that time, was smitten with Marilyn, so he asked a friend to introduce him to her.

Joe made a move and asked Marilyn out on a date. However, the rising star had her reservations about moving forward with Joe. In fact, Joe Hecht, the ghostwriter of Marilyn's autobiography, titled My Story, wrote that she thought Joe would be just another “arrogant” athlete. However, she was in for quite the surprise.

“I expected a flashy New York sports type and instead I met this reserved guy who didn’t make a pass at me right away,” she wrote in the book, via Biography. “He treated me like something special.”

And after their date, the pair embarked on coupledom.

Joe was immediately sold on having Marilyn as his lifelong partner. Although the pair tied the knot in January 1954, the duo did date for quite some time.

Since Marilyn was busy working on the West Coast and Joe was back east, the pair had to navigate a long-distance relationship. There are reports that the pair tried to keep their romance under wraps, but nothing stays a secret in Hollywood for too long.

The pair went on to elope at San Francisco’s City Hall, which was the talk of the entertainment world. Despite their decision to run off and get married, the pair never regretted the decision since the marriage was not their first rodeo.

According to WWD, jealousy was a big factor in Marilyn and Joe’s divorce. Apparently, things took a turn when Marilyn was reportedly asked by the United States Army to perform for the troops in South Korea. Unfortunately, Joe’s jealous and controlling nature immediately became a factor.

Not to mention, Joe and The Seven-Year Itch director Billy Wilder got into a physical fight after the project produced Marilyn’s most legendary moment — the scene of her flying skirt. Joe was reportedly fuming and took his anger out on everyone.

So, just nine months after they got married, Marilyn filed for divorce and cited “mental cruelty” as the reason for the dissolution of their union.

Accusing someone of domestic violence is a serious accusation. However, the entertainment world is convinced that Marilyn and Joe had many rocky times that ended with physical altercations.

According to PBS, issues with domestic violence became a factor when Marilyn was filming The Seven-Year Itch in New York. While everyone was aware that Joe and Billy came to blows, the outlet shares that Joe also took his anger out on Marilyn.

Apparently, Marilyn and Joe fought immediately after the flying skirt incident, and when they returned to California, they fought again. Marilyn decided to call it quits, even though Joe pleaded with her for a second chance. That's the way love goes — sometimes.

The Mystery of Marilyn Monroe: The Unheard Tapes and Blonde are both available on Netflix now.