• Marilyn Monroe had a long-lost sister who she never knew existed until she was 18.
• The two sisters were separated by a series of tragic events that involved their mother.
• Find out why the siblings led different lives and how they finally found each other.

Marilyn Monroe, an iconic figure who captivated the world with her beauty and talent, lived a life that was as intriguing off-screen as it was on-screen. One of the most intriguing aspects of her life was her family background, including the existence of an older sister whom she didn’t meet until she was 18.

Ever since her passing more than six decades ago, Monroe’s life has been a source of fascination for many, inspiring numerous works of art, including the 2022 film “Blonde.” Directed by Andrew Dominik and based on Joyce Carol Oates’ novel, “Blonde” is a fictional exploration of Monroe’s life, using elements of her real life as inspiration.

The film depicts Monroe’s difficult childhood, portraying her as a young girl named Norma Jeane Mortenson growing up in Los Angeles. It depicts her mother’s struggle with mental health, her fixation on Monroe’s absent father, and Monroe’s subsequent placement in foster care and orphanages. This portrayal aligns with Monroe’s real-life experiences.

After her mother was committed to a mental institution in 1934, Monroe lived in orphanages and foster homes until she got married at 16 to avoid returning to an orphanage. While the world knew Monroe as a glamorous movie star, her long-lost sister, Berniece Baker Miracle, knew her as simply Norma Jeane.

Miracle, along with her daughter Mona Rae, authored a book titled “My Sister Marilyn,” which was published on Monroe’s would-be 68th birthday. Baker, Monroe, and Mirale’s mother abandoned Miracle in Kentucky when she was a little girl. Raised by her father and stepmother, she grew up thinking her mother had already passed on and was unaware that she had a sister.

When Baker reached out in 1938, it came as a surprise. She writes, “I didn’t find out about Norma Jeane until she was twelve and I was nineteen.” Her first meeting with Monroe took place in 1944 at a train station in Detroit. Although they had been exchanging letters and photos for years, this was their first in-person encounter.

Although Monroe had described the clothes she was wearing, Miracle feared she wouldn’t be able to recognize her. But Monroe, who was still going by her birth name, Norma Jeane, was immediately recognizable among the crowd. Miracle wrote, “There was no missing her! She stood out immediately from all the rest of the passengers, so tall and pretty and fresh.”

The sisters were excited to meet each other. Miracle described how they studied each other during their first meeting, “We couldn’t stop staring at each other.” They noticed their shared features, such as dark blonde hair with a widow’s peak and the same mouth shape, but their eye colors were different. While Monroe had blue eyes like their mother’s, Miracle’s eyes were brown.

Miracle was delighted to discover she had a sister. At the time of their meeting, Monroe was married to her first husband, James Dougherty, and had traveled to Detroit for a visit. They kept in touch afterward, with Monroe often reaching out to Miracle during her marriage to Arthur Miller when she faced difficulties.

After seeing her sister, Miracle was eager to meet her mother, of whom she had no memory. In her book, Miracle discusses her similarities with Monroe. They shared the same mother, who was diagnosed as mentally ill early in their lives. They grew up feeling abandoned, and despite being told they were pretty and talented, they lacked courage and strength, which they found in each other.

Miracle also discusses how Monroe’s fame started to rise when she was just 20. Monroe valued her privacy, but the press was relentless in pursuing every aspect of her life. When Dougherty’s sister, Billie, spoke to the media, Monroe felt betrayed, even though the comments were not meant to paint her in a negative light.

Miracle wanted to correct some of the misconceptions about Monroe and her background, but she didn’t want to risk losing Monroe’s trust. She strived to be a pillar of love and support for Monroe. On Monroe’s thirty-third birthday in 1959, Miracle sent her a vibrant birthday card decorated with multiple butterflies and signed with “Love, Berniece & Paris.”

The card contained a note revealing Miracle’s desire to visit Monroe during her upcoming summer vacation. Part of it read, “Please phone or write me as to when you will be home and the best time to come. Give my regards to Arthur. Love, Berniece.”

The bond between the sisters remained strong until Monroe’s premature death in 1962. During that difficult time, Miracle stepped in to assist Monroe’s former husband, Joe DiMaggio, with the funeral arrangements.

She selected Monroe’s casket and the pale green dress in which Monroe was laid to rest. Monroe’s funeral was a poignant event. Miracle, concerned about Monroe’s recent weight loss, took it upon herself to ensure her younger sister looked her best.

She used safety pins, a sheet, and several garments of various sizes and thicknesses to make the dress conform to Monroe’s normal body shape. Monroe looked lovely in her casket, a testament to Miracle’s efforts.

Miracle remembered Monroe as a wonderful sister. In “My Sister Marilyn: A Memoir of Monroe,” Miracle’s daughter, Mona Rae, shares her own and Miracle’s memories of their late beloved relative.

They recount how Monroe gave Miracle makeup lessons, how Monroe’s wedding gown was repurposed into Mona Rae’s party dress, and how their mentally ill mother became a source of stress and difficulty.

Miracle passed away on May 25, 2014, at the age of 94. She spent her later years in Florida and North Carolina but was laid to rest in Kentucky, next to her husband, who had passed away in 1990.

Through all the ups and downs, the bond between the sisters remained a constant, a testament to their shared experiences and mutual support. Their story, as told through Miracle’s memoir, offers a unique perspective on Monroe’s life, one that goes beyond her public persona to reveal the woman behind the glamour.