Exclusive: Debunking The Marilyn Monroe 'Sex Tape' Hoax
Yesterday, news broke that an ancient sex tape allegedly showing Marilyn Monroe giving a blowjoy to an unidentified male had not only surfaced, but had also been sold to an anonymous New York collector for $1.5 million. The NY Post's Hasani Gittens broke the story after interviewing Keya Morgan, a memorabilia collector who claims to have brokered the sale of the 15 minute reel. However, what the Post failed to mention in their story is that Morgan is well-known within the tight-knit circle of Marilyn Monroe memorabilia collectors for being a sycophantic, press hungry namedropper (check out his likely self-penned IMDB bio) whose main objective is to promote himself and the Monroe documentary that he is working on. Not only has he been known to casually claim that he has dated both Mariah Carey and Renee Zellweger, he has thus far refused to disclose either the names of either the seller or buyer of the tape; additionally, he has not been able to provide evidence that this alleged sale even occurred.
To that end, Defamer worked with a trio of Marilyn Monroe experts in an effort to get to the bottom of Keya Morgan's outrageous claims. The team of Mark Bellinghaus (one of the foremost Marilyn Monroe experts/collectors in the world), Ernest W. Cunningham (author of The Ultimate Marilyn) and freelance journalist Jennifer J. Dickinson to put together the following piece. It's one of the longer pieces that we have ever published at Defamer, but we think that it's well worth your time. And with that, please enjoy. — MDG
DEBUNKING THE MARILYN MONROE "SEX TAPE" HOAX
By Mark Bellinghaus, Ernest W. Cunningham and Jennifer J. Dickinson
On June 26, 1952, Marilyn Monroe testified in court (as pictured) to protect her own reputation from accusations that a mail order pornography ring was selling pictures of her and that she was a participant in this process through solicitation of sales by letter writing. Along with her attorney, she debunked these claims and the pictures themselves, and the two men who created this scam were found guilty of misdemeanor charges, and Marilyn Monroe's name and reputation were cleared.
Nearly 56 years following her own victorious court appearance, Monroe's name is once again being affiliated with a fabricated pornographic claim. Now it is time to have the name Marilyn Monroe cleared once again of false allegations.
Keya Morgan, 38, New York City based memorabilia collector, has spawned a rumour of 16 mm film footage said to be Marilyn Monroe engaging in oral sex with an unknown male participant in the early 1950's when she was just a starlet. Morgan claims that this is an illicit copy of an FBI classified film of which a copy was made before the original was confiscated by the Feds. According to Mr. Morgan, he brokered the sale of this claimed 15 minute lasting reel to a wealthy New York Businessman for $1.5 million.
"You can see instantly that it's Marilyn Monroe," said Morgan—"she has the famous mole. She's smiling, she's very charming, she's very radiant, but she's known for being radiant."
The happy buyer of this supposed film chooses to remain anonymous but says he has no plans to market the tape. Morgan states: "He's just going to lock it up."
This tale of the sex tape follows on the heels of last month's Marilyn scandal, in which a fellow in Las Vegas called a news conference to display an unknown photo of nude Marilyn, but it turned out to be just nude Madonna. Please click here and here to read our reports on this story.
The real "Marilyn Monroe Nude" pictures are well-documented. She posed nude on red velvet for photographer Tom Kelley on May 27, 1949—photos that showed up for years on calendars and in lawsuits. Lawsuits for obscenity usually turned out to be the Kelley nudes, and were dismissed.
About this same time a short nudie film called The Apple, Knockers, and the Coke Bottle, began making the rounds. It's composed of grainy footage of a bare-chested young woman amusing herself -she's Arline Hunter, a Marilyn lookalike but clearly not Marilyn.
When a journalist or a tabloid show stumbles over a nude photo or nude film footage, the immediate response is usually Marilyn! Or Unseen Marilyn! Or Nude Marilyn!
But if it's not a Tom Kelley red velvet photo or Marilyn in the "Something's Got to Give" nude swim, then it's Arline Hunter and her apple.
If it's none of those, then it's pornography, and it's not Marilyn. She didn't go there.
There are too many holes in the Keya Morgan story. Having talked with Mr. Morgan in our own interview over the phone in the summer of 2007, he spoke quickly and non-stop of his planned television documentary, of conspiracy theories into Monroe's death, and about his alleged friendships with all three Monroe husbands. He claims he was one of the last people to speak to James Dougherty and gave the similar scenario about Dougherty's final words as has been rumoured about Joe DiMaggio - that both former spouses on their deathbed spoke about seeing Marilyn on the other side.
In general Mr. Morgan was a name dropper, especially when it came to those notorious for supporting the conspiracy theories involved with the story of Marilyn Monroe. However, he wove into our conversation his claim that he dated Mariah Carey and Renée Zellweger.
The most recent sensationalism of this supposedly existing film footage generated by Mr. Morgan, ties in with the usual opportunistic conspiracy theories that are out there. What Keya Morgan is promoting equates to questionable stories generated simply to sell another book or push another cheesy documentary. Just looking at Mr. Morgan's cast list is enough to know that this is more of the same conspiracy rehash. There's John Miner, Jack Clemmons and Thomas Noguchi, who have changed their stories over the years and cashed in on the various Marilyn Monroe murder theories by being featured in books, articles and television specials.
Keya Morgan went on and on when we were on the phone, speaking of this usual cast of characters. At the time of our conversation with him, we immediately discerned that he was one of them only out to exploit Marilyn Monroe and to come up with something new to fuel the rumour mill of her life.
Yet Keya Morgan claims he would not have gotten his name involved in this latest story, if there was harm to Marilyn Monroe. But he is already too late - Keya Morgan himself is causing harm to the legacy of Marilyn Monroe by creating this outrageous and absurd fantasy (he did not participate in it—he created it!).
There are a few questions that one must immediately ask, the litmus test that proves Mr. Morgan's story about the supposed sex tape to be as bogus as the one caused by the perpetrators against Marilyn Monroe in 1952.
· The film was supposedly made of Marilyn Monroe as a starlet. If filmed in this time period of Monroe's life, why would the feds have cared about the activities of a young starlet, considering that Marilyn Monroe had not reached the heights of fame at the time this footage was claimed to have been filmed?
· "You see instantly that it's Marilyn Monroe - she has the famous mole." This is a quote by Keya Morgan, which is one of the flimsiest pieces of evidence ever presented. Just because this alleged film has a person with a mole, it's instantly Marilyn Monroe?
· Essentially Morgan is claiming that this is a bootleg copy of a classified FBI film. So if an original is classified, why would the FBI allow this public brouhaha in the press and not stop this sale from taking place? Why would this film copy not be destroyed?
Keya Morgan claims to respect Joe DiMaggio (it is alleged that DiMaggio tried to pay the informant $25,000 for the film and the offer was refused), and Marilyn Monroe even greater. Then why would Mr. Morgan allow this sale considering his "respect" of DiMaggio and Monroe? If he was such a collector looking to protect Marilyn Monroe especially, why would he not keep this supposed film safely in his own collection?
Stay tuned, but you're sure to learn nothing new from the Keya Morgan upcoming documentary, except the usual repetitive death theories (namely, that she was murdered). And Keya Morgan's time in the spotlight for this recent spin is nothing more than an opportunity for him to do just that - soak up some extra time in the limelight with his invented story about a fake flick, at the expense of the legacy of Marilyn Monroe.
Mark Bellinghaus is the leading Marilyn Monroe expert and official expert witness in the Queen Mary/Marilyn Monroe fraud Class Action Lawsuit; Ernest W. Cunningham is the author of 'The Ultimate Marilyn' and plaintiff in the Queen Mary/Marilyn Monroe Fraud Class Action Lawsuit; Jennifer J. Dickinson is a journalist based in New Jersey and a mother of two.
[Photo: Marilyn Monroe, pictured with her attorney on June 26, 1952 testifying in her own defence in Los Angeles Court, when there were accusations that pictures of her were being sold in a pornography ring. It turned out that the accusations were bogus, as were the pictures, and two men who created this scandal were found guilty.
Credit: The Mark Bellinghaus Marilyn Monroe Collection]
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The most amusing thing to me about this photo is that Monroe's attorney looks like his last name would have been Joad and he fell off the back of a rickety truck that just chugged in from Oklahoma...
gwendolyn
RE: "Keya Morgan claims he would not have gotten his name involved in this latest story, if there was harm to Marilyn Monroe. But he is already too late - Keya Morgan himself is causing harm to the legacy of Marilyn Monroe."
EXACTLY my thoughts!
furthermore, for an individual who purchased this tape with the goal of protecting her reputation, I find it hard to believe they just so happened to forget having their broker sign a confidentiality clause.
as for marilyn's "famous mole," marilyn's mole wasn't marilyn's- it was penciled in.
this guy needs to be smacked with a case of libel fast!
thanks to mark for speaking out.
love and light
carlax
Keya Morgan is a respected authority on the identification of photography. He can explain photographic processes since the start of photography. He has authenticated photographs from Bush to Lincoln and many others.
He has found national treasures in the most obscure places and his ability to chase down every clue with with almost obsessive attention to detail is commendable. In his persistant search for the truth he has once again rocked the world with the Marilyn Monroe sex tape.
As always there are people who wont be ready for the truth, but that doesn't mean it should be suppressed. I think Keya has and always will be a steward of historical information. We need more people like him around.
On the other hand there is Mark Bellinghaus is the originator of the Church of Marilyn, and claims that someday Marilyn will be bigger then Jesus. Bellinghaus is obviously jealous and wants to be seen as the ultimate authority on Marilyn Monroe.
Bellinghaus has to realize that making such ludicrous claims about Marilyn Monroe will not do his credibility any good. How can you begin to compare a God to a mere mortal? How can you start a church on the back of a fallible human being?
I'm not taking anything away from Marilyn, personally i'm a big fan. But u have to be a deluded individual to worship her as a God. Bellinghaus is just an obsessed lunatic who lives in his own fantasy world. I hope for everyone's sake he can come to terms with realiy at some point.
Right now he's doing the Marilyn Monroe legacy a lot more damage then good by uplifting her to God status. I'm sure if she was around she'd be embarressed to be associated with this nut.
monroe73
@Little Mintz Sunshine: ha!
guitarsnob
.
max3888
This just in: Keya Morgan has brokered the sale of a secret, illicit, FBI tape of Keya Morgan to an unidentified fan of Keya Morgan who prefers not to be publicly identified as Keya Morgan.
Imnotatnbc
@max3888: Oooooohhhhhhh....I'm scaaaaarrrrreeeedddd.
Little Mintz Sunshine
What's a blowjoy? Anywho....I kind of half-suspected this so-called sex tape to be a fraud. Marilyn only allowed nude photos of herself,and she usually was given the right to approve the ones she wanted to publish. She wasn't into pornography,and it's been like ....45 yrs. since she's gone,so the possibility of anything remotely like a "sex tape" would have shown up a long time ago.
DogTheBootyHunter
@Little Mintz Sunshine:
Haha! More like a desperate housewife.
QueenB
L.A Times just picked this up!
[latimesblogs.latimes.com]
QueenB
Is that freak who was talking in the article about Marilyn's reputation being defamed seriously suggesting that she never sucked off guys? What planet is _he_ from?
dottingis
@SanFranBetsu:
hahahahahahha. my thoughts as well
StevieRayHalen
In all of the pix of Morgan with a real celeb, he has exactly the same expression on his face.
Are you sure he's even a real person & not a life-size cardboard photo of one?
Greasy Thumb Guzik
These aren't the same Marylin Experts that thought that Madonna pic from "Sex" was Miss Monroe hitchhiking nude was it? The important thing is that no matter who it is in the tape, I feel we all deserve some youtubed vintage pron.
Garrison Dean, King Awesome
Here's what we know about Morgan: he knows how to use photoshop.
SanFranBetsu
@guitarsnob and sundaegirl:
Virginia Rappe (pronounced rap-pay)was Fatty Arbuckle's uh, squeeze, and Clara Bow was "involved" with the USC Football team, including a young Marion Morrison, who went on to fame as John Wayne.
formerfilmstudent
@sundaeg1rl: Virginia Rappe, not Clara Bow.
Ms. Bow, I believe, was busy banging the USC Football team. But who knows...maybe there was a coke bottle or two used.
guitarsnob
This guy seems very important - but has he had any validation by mainstream media?
"As noted in the New York Times..."
Ahhh...thanks to his humble bio, I now know he's legit.
mr.Man
@sundaeg1rl: Fantastic reference!
Molly McAleer
I thought people gave up messing with coke bottles after the Fatty Arbuckle/Clara Bow incident *shrugs*
sundaeg1rl
He has narcissistic eyebrows.
And I wonder if Rudy Giuliani bitch-slapped him, as his expression suggests.
MidTwix
Those pictures are priceless. I must admit that he (or actually, some friend of his) has quite a knack for taking unflattering photos of celebrities. There's one where Giuliani looks like a rabid robot (and you only see the back of Morgan's head.) What a con artist. But he is friends with Tony Bennett's daughter.
Carol Gardens
Sorry to be picky, but when three people collaborate on something, proofreading is a must. Otherwise, you end up with gems like those in this article, for example "Keya Morgan claims to respect Joe DiMaggio...and Marilyn Monroe even greater".
Breamworthy
@pchdriver: After you said that, I had to go look at the pictures, and I swear to god some of them aren't real. The ones with him and Tom Hanks and Paris Hilton look like he just stuck himself in there, as do some of the ones will Bill Clinton. Hilarious!
katekate
On his IMDB bio....notice that he was "neighbor's" with Angelina....a real writer would know that it's NEIGHBORS!
PetiteGal
Hi from Wikipedia, among some editors of which there is great excitement over this non-story. (See the talk page of "Marilyn Monroe".) There's also recognition of the name "Keya Morgan": back in September last year, there was short-lived but great enthusiasm for adding to the article "Death of Marilyn Monroe" another non-story about how, as reported in a gossip column, Morgan, the producer of a yet-to-be-made movie about Monroe, was claiming how some unnamed FBI agent had told him something about R Kennedy. Various usernames were most insistent on adding this stuff. (See the article's talk page.) The most vocal of these was "Bobtoo". Bobtoo's other areas of interest were few (see his list of contributions), but strangely included (a) photographers (one who existed, another who seems to have been his invention) who'd allegedly photographed Monroe, and (b) rather obscure Persian matters. I wonder if Morgan has also sold, or was planning to sell, any photos of Monroe.
Clicketyclock
Hi from Wikipedia, among some of whose editors (not me) there is [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Marilyn_Monroe#Sex_tape_section]tremendous excitement[/url] over this length of film. There's also recognition of "Keya Morgan": he was all over some earlier tittle-tattle discussed here
Clicketyclock
@Mark Graham: Even better.
VoxPopuli
I represent Producer Keya Morgan, and the information on this website is 100% false! He is not 38 years old, he has never claimed to have dated Carey or Zellweger, he has never been interviewed or ever spoke with the individuals mentioned in this article, etc. The accusation are so outrageously ridiculous we will not ever attempt to address them.
Pure lies from an individual with a personal agenda against Mr. Morgan. They are only meant to serve as defamation of character and will not be tolerated. We will sue any individuals who are behind these malicious lies.
Max
Keya Morgan Productions
max3888
@Mark Graham: Kristen Wiig RULES. That is all.
In Other News...
@Un Chien Andalou: @VoxPopuli: Not a typo; rather, a Kristen Wiig reference from this weekend's SNL. See here: [jezebel.com]
Mark Graham
@belltolls: Oh yeah, I guess I did! Sorta. A little bit.
In Other News...
@In Other News...: Didn't you break this wide open when you posted this at 1:00pm today: C:/DESKTOP/FOLDERS/KEYAMORGAN-COOLSTUFF/PERSONAL/marilynBJ.mpeg (12mb)
belltolls
Jennifer J. Dickinson is a journalist based in New Jersey and a mother of two.
Wow, just like Amy Fisher.
Little Mintz Sunshine
Wait. Did she blow somebody or not? I am soo confused.
Seanibus
Sources tell me that there IS a video and it WAS sold except it's not of Marilyn Monroe giving head, but of Marilyn Horne making out with a hot dog.
guitarsnob
The 29 (twenty-nine!) photos at his imdb biography are priceless -- esp the one when Morgan and Lauren Bacall are barely in the same frame. Because everyone knows that if you're photographed at a party in the vicinity of a famous person, you're best buds.
pchdriver
WGARefugee
Marilyn's iconic status is such a small prize when compared to how her reputation has been muck raked repeatedly. I've often wondered if her legacy would be different if she had had family to protect it instead of an absent father and a crazy mother.
PaisleyPajamas
@dana danger: Beat me to it.
In Other News...
@Un Chien Andalou: Yes, that has to be my favorite typo of all time.
Another example of bullshit in this guy's story? No woman looks radiant or charming after giving head for 15 minutes. They call it a job for a reason, people.
VoxPopuli
@Un Chien Andalou: Well, it's certainly not a job.
dana danger
a blow joy? I would so prefer a blowjoy than a blowjob.
Un Chien Andalou
expect a remake of "The Apple, Knockers, and the Coke Bottle" soon starring Lindsey Lohan with Vince Vaughn as the Coke bottle.
hughman
Oh, this is soooooo much better than finding out Ashton Kutcher had a hand in this. Bravo!
In Other News...