Prior to her fame taking off, Marilyn Monroe posed nude for a calendar while struggling to make ends meet as an actress.

How Marilyn Monroe avoided a major nude photo scandal

Prior to her fame taking off, Marilyn Monroe posed nude for a calendar while struggling to make ends meet as an actress.

By Sharareh Drury

June 1, 2026 5:45 p.m. ET

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Marilyn Monroe. Credit:

Michael Ochs Archives/Getty

- Marilyn Monroe used her media savviness to avoid a scandal, according to photography historian David Wills.

- In the '50s, rumors of a nude calendar photo nearly ruined the iconic actress' career.

- Monroe ultimately worked with journalist Aline Mosby to break news of her nude photo, allowing her to own the narrative.

In 1949, Marilyn Monroe posed nude for a calendar while struggling to make it as an actress. Years later when the blonde bombshell transformed into one of America's most iconic starlets, that photo potentially threatened to tank her whole career.

As fans celebrate what would have been Monroe's 100th birthday, details about how the actress avoided a major scandal have emerged — potentially teaching modern-day celebrities how to turn a publicity nightmare into gold.

"In her 'starlet' days, she achieved most of her publicity herself — casually courting reporters and press photographers, becoming friendly with them over time," Wills told the outlet.**

Marilyn Monroe poses in a publicity still for 'Some Like It Hot'.

Donaldson Collection/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty

Prior to her fame taking off, a 22-year-old Monroe was paid $50 by photographer Tom Kelley to pose on a red velvet background, known now as her famous "Golden Dreams" photo. When rumors of the nude photo arose later on in her career, Monroe took matters into her own hands.

"During 1952’s 'Nude Calendar Scandal' — which sent Twentieth Century-Fox executives into a panic and threatened to end her career just as it was about to skyrocket — Marilyn used strategic honesty and light manipulation to defuse the situation," Wills said. "Instead of hiding or denying it, as studio bosses insisted she do, Marilyn collaborated with journalist Aline Mosby and essentially broke the story herself."

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Marilyn Monroe poses for a portrait in 1946.

Richard C. Miller/Donaldson Collection/Getty

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"She explained that she was broke and hungry when she posed for the calendar photo in 1949 and declared, 'I’m not ashamed of it. I’ve done nothing wrong.' This masterful move allowed Marilyn to control the narrative, and she won the PR battle before it had a chance to take hold," Wills added.

Wills noted that Monroe's "bold honesty" helped to humanize the actress and garner "public sympathy," which only made her more popular to the masses.

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Source: “EW Celebrity”