Historically speaking, the crème of the athlete-celebrity relationship was between DiMaggio, the retired New York Yankees star, and Monroe, the blonde bombshell actress and model.
Initially she did not want to meet DiMaggio, who she assumed would be a stereotypical "jock" but, once the courtship began, it took off and captured the hearts of a nation. They eloped in January, 1954 in San Francisco. Soon, however, their fairy-tale romance hit the skids. Monroe's career was taking off, while his had just finished. The fact that Monroe was the most desired woman in the U.S. didn't help, either.
DiMaggio was on hand to watch her infamous scene in The Seven-Year Itch (along with hundreds of other adoring men), where she stood over a subway grate and her skirt flies up above her waist. He was not as impressed as her other fans.
They divorced in October, 1954, but Joltin' Joe re-entered her life in 1961, spawning rumours that the two were an item again. Monroe was in deep distress at that time, taking prescription medication and suffering from depression. After she died of an apparent overdose on Aug. 5, 1962, DiMaggio arranged for her funeral and barred Hollywood types from attending.
This romance lasted beyond the grave. DiMaggio sent a half-dozen roses three times a week to her headstone until his death in 1999. He never married again.
Source: cbc ca
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