Marilyn Monroe’s genuine affection for President John F. Kennedy was plain to see that night in 1962 when she shuffled to the stage in front of 15,000 well-wishers to sing “Happy Birthday” to the most powerful man in the country. Various sources including Monroe’s biographer Donald Spoto claim that the appearance came in the wake of a tryst between the actress and president that occurred just three months earlier at a party at the home of the singer Bing Crosby (per “Marilyn Monroe: The Biography”). In this context, Monroe’s sultry performance at his birthday bash could be seen as a reflection of a sexual relationship between the two. Monroe’s appearance on stage elicited an audible gasp from the audience as she came to the mic and removed her white fur coat to reveal a skin-tight dress that in the grainy footage above gives the impression that she is almost nude. Kennedy himself made a joking reference to how unabashedly sexual Monroe’s appearance was, coming to the microphone after her performance to say ironically: “I can now retire from politics after having Happy Birthday sung to me in such a sweet and wholesome way.”
It might be telling that Kennedy’s wife, Jackie, was not present at his birthday bash, though it is widely reported that the First Lady often avoided public events. However, Spoto is keen to note that though there is some evidence that Monroe and Kennedy likely had a sexual encounter at the Crosby house in February, rumors of a prolonged affair have never been substantiated.
