(SNEAK PEEK) Marilyn Monroe: The Final Chapter, The Kennedys & The Conspiracies

August 31, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

Marilyn Monroe was found dead in her Brentwood home on August 5, 1962, at age 36. The official cause was acute barbiturate poisoning, ruled a probable suicide. But the story around her death—the timeline, the phone calls, the people who were there and the people who weren't—has never held together. This episode walks through the final chapter of her life, from the collapse of her marriage to Arthur Miller, through her affair with John F. Kennedy, and up to the night she died. The hosts are clear that they are presenting possibilities, not facts, but they are equally clear that the original story has been proven false.

The Misfits and the End of Arthur Miller

After finishing Some Like It Hot and suffering a miscarriage, Marilyn was desperate for the dramatic role that would prove she was more than a dumb blonde. Her husband, playwright Arthur Miller, promised to write one for her. The result was The Misfits, filmed in 1960. But by the time production began, Miller's feelings toward Marilyn had soured, and he kept rewriting the script to reflect his resentment. He incorporated details from her childhood, her abusive marriage to Joe DiMaggio, and private conversations she had with him. One scene has Clark Gable's character ask Marilyn's character, "What makes you so sad? I think you're the saddest woman I've ever met"—a line taken directly from a real conversation betwee

Continue reading the full summary in the app — free to try.

Read Full Summary →

Free • No credit card required

Listen to Audio Summary Open in App

Never miss an episode of Right Answers Mostly

Get every new episode summarized in your inbox — free, ~5 minutes to read.

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

What you'll learn

1 (01:24) **Welcome & Final Chapter Setup** - The hosts open their last episode of Marilyn Monroe Month, setting up the discussion on her final chapter, the Kennedy connections, and the conspiracy theories surrounding her death.
2 (02:24) **The Misfits & Arthur Miller's Betrayal** - Marilyn is married to Arthur Miller, who promised her a dramatic role, but the filming of *The Misfits* becomes a nightmare as he weaponizes the script against her.
3 (11:55) **Escalating Addiction & Warning Signs** - Marilyn's prescription drug dependency reaches a critical point during the production of *The Misfits*, with everyone around her noticing the danger.
4 (14:39) **The Misfits Production Chaos** - The blame for the film's troubled production is unfairly placed on Marilyn, while director John Houston's own issues are overlooked.
5 (17:03) **Clark Gable's Death & Public Blame** - Twelve days after filming wraps, Clark Gable dies of a heart attack, and gossip magazines blame Marilyn for his death.
6 (18:50) **The Divorce & Psychiatric Nightmare** - Marilyn's divorce from Arthur Miller becomes final on the same day as JFK's inauguration, and she soon faces a horrifying institutionalization.
7 (21:45) **Joe DiMaggio's Rescue** - After her traumatic confinement, Marilyn calls her abusive ex-husband, Joe DiMaggio, who comes to her rescue.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

In the final chapter of Marilyn Month, we’re covering the last years of Marilyn Monroe’s life and the mystery that still surrounds her death more than 60 years later. From her divorce from Arthur Miller and buying a home of her own, to her rumored relationships with the Kennedys and the infamous “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” performance at Madison Square Garden.

We’re also getting into Marilyn’s final photo shoots, her last days, and what we know about the night she died. Then, we’re breaking down the conspiracy theories that have followed her death for decades: the Kennedys, the conflicting timelines, the unanswered questions, and what we actually believe happened.

Created and produced by Claire Donald and Tess Bellomo

Join our PREMIUM CHANNEL HERE

Sources: Marilyn Monroe: The Biography , The Mystery of Marilyn Monroe: The Unheard Tapes , Vanity Fair

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices