Marilyn Monroe and the Red Diary: Was She Killed Because of Kennedy Secrets?

29th June 2025

3 minutes read

Marilyn Monroe and the Red Diary: Was She Killed Because of Kennedy Secrets?

Hours before she was found dead in August 1962, Marilyn Monroe made chilling phone calls to friends.

She allegedly said: “I know a lot of dangerous secrets about the Kennedys… I have something that will shock the world someday.”

These words may have been the final spark in a turbulent life filled with clandestine relationships with former President John F. Kennedy and his brother, Attorney General Robert “Bobby” Kennedy. She was discovered naked in bed, in a suspicious position, clutching the phone receiver.

A Weekend at Lake Tahoe: Signs of Crisis

Weeks before her death, during a visit to Frank Sinatra’s cabin in Lake Tahoe, Marilyn was visibly unwell. Pianist Buddy Greco, who saw her arrive, described her as “fragile” despite her charm and intelligence.

That holiday, which included mob figures like Sam Giancana, revealed the depth of her emotional decline linked to the Kennedy brothers.

One night, she appeared drunk and furious after a concert, prompting Sinatra to remove her from the event. Greco later found her sitting alone by the pool, “pale and lost”—a scene that foreshadowed the tragedy.

Back in Los Angeles: A Ticking Time Bomb

Returning to L.A. on Sinatra’s private jet, Marilyn was barefoot and disheveled, accompanied by Peter Lawford—brother-in-law to the Kennedys—who stopped to make a warning call from a phone booth: “Marilyn is a ticking time bomb.”

Outraged after being ignored by Bobby Kennedy during his visit to San Francisco, she called journalist friend Bob Slatzer: “I’ll expose everything! They got what they wanted from me and then dumped me!”

Friends tried to calm her down, fearing a public breakdown. Her psychiatrist, Dr. Ralph Greenson, visited her 28 times in 35 days. Her publicist, Pat Newcomb, began sleeping at her house.

The Last Night: Screaming, Threats, and a Mysterious Call

On the night of August 4, 1962, chaos erupted in Marilyn’s home. She received anonymous threatening calls: “Stay away from Bobby, you whore!” She suspected Ethel Kennedy, Bobby’s wife, might be behind them.

Amid this turmoil, she told journalist Sidney Skolsky she was expecting a Kennedy visit that night. Secret recordings by private investigator Fred Otash captured a violent argument between Marilyn, Bobby Kennedy, and Peter Lawford.

She reportedly screamed at Bobby, demanding answers, while he threatened her and demanded the mysterious “red diary”: “Where is it? We’ll give you anything you want for it.”

Near midnight, she called friends in a frantic state: “I know dangerous secrets about the Kennedys,” and later added, “I have something that will shock the world.”

In her final moments, Peter Lawford called and heard faint, broken whispers. Trying to wake her, her last words were: “Say goodbye to Pat. Goodbye to Jack. Goodbye to you. Be…”

The Body and the Investigation: A Web of Inconsistencies

At 3 a.m. on August 5, her housekeeper Eunice Murray awoke with a sense of dread. Finding Marilyn’s bedroom door closed—a rarity—she called Dr. Greenson, who broke the window to enter.

There, he found Marilyn’s lifeless body, naked, holding the phone, with an empty Nembutal bottle nearby—despite her prescription being just one capsule per day.

Detective Jack Clemmons was immediately suspicious. The body was “neatly arranged,” inconsistent with a chaotic suicide. All items linking her to the Kennedys, including her diary, were gone.

The rushed autopsy, conducted by a non-specialist, failed to analyze stomach contents or blood. Prosecutor John Miner suggested she may have been killed by a lethal enema containing Nembutal and chloral hydrate.

Murder or Suicide? The Eternal Question

Six decades later, conflicting evidence continues to fuel conspiracy theories. Housekeeper Murray later told the BBC that Bobby Kennedy was indeed present that night. Dr. Greenson, who allegedly removed confidential files before police arrived, remains an “unofficial suspect.”

Missing phone records, lost investigative files, and the contrast between the official suicide narrative and Marilyn’s final warnings have turned the case into a historical enigma.

Today, as films and documentaries continue to peel back the layers of this story, Marilyn remains a symbol of mystery—a reminder that some secrets within the corridors of power may never come to light.