Marilyn Monroe was married thrice and she never had any children for all these years. Notably, the actress battled with a health issue due to which she could not become a mother.
Marilyn Monroe’s death on August 4, 1962, was considered to be a big loss for Hollywood. The actress started her career on the big screen with Dangerous Years, released in 1947. She was featured in many other films, including The Prince and the Showgirl, which was produced by her company, Marilyn Monroe Productions. However, Marilyn’s career on television was brief, as she appeared on some shows like The Jack Benny Program and Person to Person. Outside the entertainment industry, Marilyn Monroe’s personal life also created headlines, specifically due to her three marriages.
Her first marriage was with the late police officer, James Dougherty, which lasted for only four years from 1942 to 1946. She tied the knot with Joe DiMaggio in 1954, and the marriage ended in 1955. Marilyn then exchanged vows with the late actor and writer, Arthur Miller, in 1956. The duo divorced in 1961. Despite getting married thrice, Marilyn Monroe did not have any children before her demise. While she got pregnant thrice, she lost her three babies for certain reasons. Keep reading to know more!
While Marilyn Monroe made her acting debut in 1947, her career took a different turn a few years later during the ‘50s. As mentioned, she got married to Arthur Miller in 1956. Notably, this is the same period when Marilyn wanted to become a mother. However, Marilyn’s dream of having children was unfulfilled when she had three miscarriages. The loss left a heavy impact on Marilyn’s physical health. She also suffered emotionally, and the aftermath of the entire situation was believed to be the reason behind Marilyn and Arthur’s divorce in 1961.
Marilyn’s first miscarriage happened in 1956, followed by two more within the gap of a year in 1957 and 1958. The details of the miscarriages were also revealed in The Mystery of Marilyn Monroe: The Unheard Tapes, which aired on Netflix in 2022. Cambridge University Press also released some recordings of Arthur Miller for a book, The Arthur Miller Tapes: A Life in His Own Words, in May 2026. Notably, the tapes included Arthur’s interview with Professor Christopher Bigsby, where Miller addressed the situation that could have emerged if he and Marilyn had become parents. He said:
“I am not sure how good it would have been for her to have a child. It would have been an additional problem.”
Marilyn Monroe’s pregnancy loss recently came into the spotlight in May 2026 when Goddess, a book by Anthony Summers, revealed that she had endometriosis. The health issue can create complications in pregnancy, leading to miscarriage. Summers said in his book that the health problem was the reason that Marilyn’s marriages did not last for a long time, and she could not have any children.
Anthony said that there was a point where Marilyn was extremely dependent on drugs, along with tranquilisers, hypnotics, and more. President and CEO of the ICON Collection, Bryan Johns, also spoke to PEOPLE in May 2026, opening up on how endometriosis left an impact on Marilyn Monroe before her death. Bryan told the outlet:
“She had terrible, debilitating endometriosis, and was hospitalized and under medical supervision for that condition throughout her life. Although she had communicated her health issues to the studio, oftentimes the studio would refute this and accuse her of making it up in order to try and keep her under their control – defining the narrative to the gossip columnists.”
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