This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

Ripley’s Believe It or Not! denied claims Kim Kardashian damaged Marilyn Monroe’s iconic “Happy Birthday Mr. President” dress at the Met Gala after photos posted online showed damage to the multi-million dollar dress.

“Kim Kardashian’s walk up the Metropolitan Museum’s stairs at this year’s Met Gala caused quite the stir, but one thing Ripley’s Believe It or Not! can say with confidence is that it did not cause damage to Marilyn Monroe’s famed ‘Happy Birthday’ dress from 1962,” the museum said in a press release.

“Ripley’s Believe It or Not! is not the first owner of this dress. It was acquired at a Julien’s Auctions event in 2016 for $4.8 million,” the press release went on to say. “A report written on the dress’s condition in early 2017 states, ‘a number of the seams are pulled and worn. This is not surprising given how delicate the material is. There is puckering at the back by the hooks and eyes,’ among other instances of damage.”

Scott Fortner, owner of one of world’s largest private collection of the late-starlet, claimed the dress was damaged following its appearance at the prestigious event. “So much for keeping ‘the integrity of the dress and the preservation,'” he wrote on Instagram. “Ripley’s Believe It or Not, was it worth it?”

Fortner posted various photos from different angles and lighting showing the dress before and after the 2022 Met Ball. In one zoomed-in photo, he shows where some of the crystals are missing and how some were “left hanging by a thread.” He called the damage “significant.”

The photos were sent to Fortner were from Chad Michael Christian Morrisette on June 12, when he saw the dress displayed at Ripley’s Hollywood location.

When Kardashian donned the iconic gown for the Met Ball in May, Ripley’s released a statement that said, “with input from garment conservationists, appraisers, archivists, and insurance, both the Ripley’s and Kim knew they could make the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity happen. Agreeing that the garment’s condition was top priority, it was agreed that no alterations were to be made to the dress.”

In this May 19, 1962 photo provided by the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, actress Marilyn Monroe wears the iconic gown that she wore while singing "Happy Birthday" to President John F. Kennedy at Madison Square Garden.(Cecil Stoughton/White House Photographs, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum via AP)
In this May 19, 1962 photo provided by the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, actress Marilyn Monroe wears the iconic gown that she wore while singing “Happy Birthday” to President John F. Kennedy at Madison Square Garden.(Cecil Stoughton/White House Photographs, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum via AP)

The Skims owner only wore the dress for the gala’s red carpet, then immediately changed into a replica for the remainder of the event. She’s the only one, besides Monroe, to ever wear the ensemble. She received backlash for not only wearing the archival piece but also touting that she lost 16 pounds in just weeks to fit into it in the first place.

Monroe wore the multi-million dollar ensemble on May 19, 1962 to sing then-President John F. Kennedy a breathy version of “Happy Birthday” at his Madison Square Garden birthday celebration.

Kim Kardashian has not responded to claims about the damage.