Author biographer shared some insights into Marilyn Monroe and Frank Sinatra: the Hollywood icons whose rumored love affair was speculated in Hollywood for decades.
According to Radar Online, they became close friends after The Girl in Pink Tights was shelved in early 1954, in which the pair was cast opposite each other.
Author of the biography Frank & Marilyn: The Lives, the Loves, and the Fascinating Relationship of Frank Sinatra and Marilyn Monroe, Edward Z. Epstein described the pair’s relationship in his book as “a relationship that was intentionally kept out of the public eye.”
“They had a great deal in common. They understood each other,” he added.
Reflecting on the Hollywood icons’ struggles at the time, the author said, “Frank was still married to Ava Gardner, but it was a tooth-and-claw relationship.”
“And Marilyn was a battered woman, still reeling from her pending divorce from Joe DiMaggio when she and Frank got together,” he further revealed.
According to Edward, the pair preferred to keep their relationship private. “They both knew what it was like to live under the constant pressure to live up to their images. When together, the masks were off, they were free to be ‘Frankie’ and ‘Norma Jean,’ which is what they called each other.”
Adding, “Frank felt protective of her and loved playing her knight in shining armor.”
“And Marilyn, all turmoil aside, was deeply romantic. She was an outspoken Sinatra fan before they’d ever met. She used to play his music to get in the proper mood for a photo session or scene,” Edward further revealed.
Edward shared that Sinatra proposed to Marilyn. “That summer, he did propose marriage. But according to Frank’s closest friends, she turned him down.”
It is pertinent to mention that Marilyn and Frank never officially confirmed a romantic relationship; therefore, all the speculations and rumors are based on biographies and recollections.
