There’s no doubt that Marilyn Monroe is one of the most recognizable icons of Hollywood. Over the years, numerous celebrities and fans have paid tribute to the silver screen legend and her movies.
Even in the age of the internet, fans continue to show their love for Marilyn by dressing up as the star. But, as one Instagram model found out, there can be an unexpected dark side to showing your appreciation for Marilyn online.
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Marilyn Monroe continues to be a source of fascination for the public.
Decades after her untimely and tragic death, the world is still invested in the story of the late actor’s life. Her on-screen performances are also still celebrated to this day, making her a certified Hollywood legend.
Over the years, there have been numerous biopics made about Marilyn Monroe.
Michelle Williams, Madonna, and Mira Sorvino are just a few of the actors who have portrayed Marilyn on the big screen.
In the age of influencers, though, there’s a new way to pay tribute to the starlet — through Instagram. An influencer and model who cosplays as Marilyn Monroe is sharing the dark side of portraying the blonde bombshell online.
Influencer Leylah Dobinson has 20,000 followers on Instagram.
She recently posted a series of photos paying tribute to Marilyn Monroe and pointing out her likeness to the actor. However, Leylah said she received death threats and rude comments over the photos.
“It’s happened multiple times where unknown accounts will message me saying, ‘You deserve to be dead’ or ‘You’re ugly,’ but it doesn’t bother me,” she said.
Leylah also clarified that she doesn’t want to replace Marilyn Monroe.
She explained that Marilyn was a source of inspiration for her and she wished to pay tribute to the Hollywood legend through her photos.
Despite the threatening messages, Leylah doesn’t plan to stop modeling and cosplaying as Marilyn Monroe.
“It just pushes me to do more — without the haters, I wouldn’t get anywhere anyway. Normally I don’t even open [the messages],” she explained.
There’s been a renewed interest in Marilyn Monroe over the past few months.
Netflix’s Blonde starring Ana de Armas is set to be released September 23, 2022. The movie has already been met with controversy and criticism for its portrayal of Marilyn Monroe and for having an NC-17 rating.
