EXCLUSIVE: Marilyn Monroe's Drug Secret Exposed in Never-Before-Heard Tapes — How Bombshell's Ex-Husband 'Foresaw' Her Death After Stomach-Pumping Horror
Marilyn Monroe's ex-husband 'foresaw' her death after stomach-pumping horror.
May 10 2026, Published 7:45 p.m. ET
Marilyn Monroe's struggles with drugs and mental health were so severe her ex-husband Arthur Miller believed for years the Hollywood icon would inevitably die young, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The shock claim is contained in newly uncovered recordings in which the playwright described desperately trying to save the actress after a near-fatal overdose.
Arthur Miller believed for years that Marilyn Monroe would die at a young age.
Tapes recorded in conversations between Miller and his friend and biographer Professor Christopher Bigsby offer an intimate and often painful account of Miller's marriage to Monroe.
The pair married in 1956 and divorced in January 1961, just 18 months before Monroe died aged 36 from a barbiturates overdose in August 1962.
In the recordings, Miller – who died in 2005 aged 89 – recalled repeatedly witnessing Monroe spiral psychologically and physically during the final years of their relationship.
Miller Recalled Desperate Attempts To Save Monroe
Miller brought doctors to pump Monroe’s stomach after a near-fatal overdose.
Miller said: "One time I brought doctors to pump her out because she had swallowed enough stuff (drugs) to kill her.
"So I felt she was in a very delicate psychological position. As it turned out, it took some years, but it happened. It was beyond my powers or anybody else's to hold her back.
"It was impossible for her to live, let alone with anybody. You couldn't go on with that intensity of life, and those drugs, and manage to survive."
One source familiar with the newly released recordings said Miller had long carried guilt about Monroe's decline despite believing there was little anyone could ultimately do to save her.
The insider added: "Arthur clearly loved Marilyn deeply, but these tapes reveal a man who felt overwhelmed and emotionally exhausted by the chaos surrounding her life."
Another source who has studied Monroe's life said the recordings painted a portrait of a woman trapped between fame, insecurity and addiction.
They added: "What stands out is how isolated Marilyn appeared to become. Arthur describes someone who increasingly distrusted everyone around her and who struggled to find stability even inside her marriage."
Unprepared For Monroe's Vulnerability
Miller admitted he underestimated the emotional demands of living with the star.
In the tapes, Miller admitted he underestimated the emotional demands of life with Monroe and confessed he had not fully grasped the depth of her vulnerability before marrying her.
He said: "I was not really prepared for what I should have been prepared for, which was that she had literally no inner resources.
"She wanted a father, a lover, friend, agent, above all someone who would never criticise her for anything, or else she would lose confidence in herself. I don't know if that human being exists."
Despite the turmoil, Miller also described Monroe as intelligent, witty and emotionally generous, praising her sense of humor and intellect behind the glamorous public image that made her one of Hollywood's most enduring stars through films including Some Like It Hot and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
Monroe's Final Years Marked By Isolation And Paranoia
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The writer praised Monroe’s intelligence and wit behind her glamorous public image.
The playwright also reflected on Monroe's longing to have children, though he questioned whether motherhood would have brought her the stability she craved.
He said: "In a way, I am not sure how good it would have been for her to have a child. It would have been an additional problem… I am not sure how it would have worked out in practice."
According to Miller, Monroe became increasingly paranoid in the years before her death and grew convinced many people in her orbit were attempting to exploit or damage her.
He also detailed the collapse of their marriage, revealing communication between them had effectively broken down by the time Monroe formally ended the relationship in 1961.
Miller said: "She was genuinely hostile to me... I couldn't have gone on. It would have killed me. I couldn't work anymore."
