They were only friends and not lovers. "Frank felt she was too troubled, too fragile, for him to sleep with and then walk away," wrote the writer.
Editor’s note: This article was originally published on June 3, 2021. It has since been updated.
A new book has revealed some shocking details about Marilyn Monroe's death and her relationship with Frank Sinatra.
According to People, the book, written by Sinatra's close friend and former manager Tony Oppedisano, stated that the singer believed Monroe was murdered. "Frank believed she was murdered and he never got over it," wrote Oppedisano in his memoir titled Sinatra and Me: In The Wee Small Hours.
Monroe passed away in 1962, and it was believed to be a death caused by an overdose. According to Biography, an empty pill bottle was found on her bed stand along with other 12 to 15 medicine bottles. Police at the time also reported that the star had reached out to her psychiatrist Dr. Ralph Greenson hours before her death. Apparently, she told him that she could not sleep. The doctor then suggested that she go for a ride. However, hours later Monroe left this world.
Her housekeeper who went to check on her after noticing the lights did not receive any response. As a result, the frantic housekeeper contacted Monroe's doctor. Soon after, Greenson arrived at the scene and broke the window to discover the lifeless body of the celebrity.
Albeit the death was written off as a case of overdose, there have been other theories that were discussed by the public. Regardless, her death has always remained a mystery.
Further, Oppedisano also revealed that Sinatra and Monroe were nothing more than friends. He added that the legendary musician liked her as a person and thought her to be "beautiful and funny." Oppedisano wrote, "Frank felt she was too troubled, too fragile, for him to sleep with and then walk away." He further clarified that the duo shared a lot of secrets. Monroe was so comfortable with Sinatra that she told him about her affairs with John F. Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy.
He also recalled Monroe was extremely upset with the way people left her after sleeping with her. She confided in Sinatra and vented out her feelings. "Marilyn told Frank she didn't understand why they'd shut her out completely once she stopped having sex with them," wrote Oppedisano.
The writer also disclosed that Monroe spent the last weekend of her life at the famous Cal Neva Lodge, outside of Lake Tahoe. He revealed she was there to visit her ex-husband Joe DiMaggio, who was staying nearby. Monroe had planned to announce their union via a press meeting the following week. However, the news of her press meet gave rise to other hearsays. Many thought she would spill the tea on her relationships with the Kennedy's.
Sinatra believed the announcement of her press meet was the factor that cut her life short. "Frank believed if the press conference hadn't been announced, she would have lived a lot longer," said Oppedisano. He added, "Frank said she'd never have spilled about the Kennedys because she still had feelings for [Jack.]"
Further, the writer stated that Sinatra's attorney Mickey Rudin, who also worked with Monroe, told the singer that the actress was killed. Oppedisano revealed that the singer had several reasons to believe it as he heard it from numerous other sources. "She'd been murdered with a Nembutal suppository and Robert Kennedy or the Mob was involved."
With no clear evidence to prove the cause of her death, Sinatra was haunted by Monroe's departure till his last breath. Oppedisano revealed that Sinatra reminisced about the late actress during his last days. The writer stated that he wanted to depict the human side of Sinatra by disclosing these age-old secrets.
"I tried to paint the portrait of a man very few people got to know as well as I did. I think he knew someday I'd share the stories he wanted the world to know," said Oppedisano.
References:
https://people.com/movies/why-frank-sinatra-believed-marilyn-monroe-was-murdered-book/
https://www.biography.com/news/marilyn-monroe-final-days
Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photos by (L) Keystone and (R) Baron
