Marilyn Monroe once got a strange request from a Nobel Prize winner — his wife's lie is what started it all

Marilyn Monroe, one of the most influential figures of Hollywood's golden era, captivated millions with her oh-so-iconic roles and timeless beauty. With legendary movies like "Some Like It Hot," "The Seven Year Itch," and "How to Marry a Millionaire," the actress became a household name, establishing a global fan base who adored her every move, both onscreen and offscreen. Besides common people, celebrities like Mariah Carey, Lady Gaga, and Lindsay Lohan have also openly expressed their love for the award-winning actress. Notably, even renowned author John Steinbeck once wrote a letter to Monroe, requesting an autograph — not for himself, but for his star-struck nephew.

"In my whole experience, I have never known anyone to ask for an autograph for himself. It is always for a child or an ancient aunt, which gets very tiresome, as you know better than I," Steinbeck wrote. He was clearly a bit apologetic about bothering Monroe, but he had to because of his nephew, Jon Atkinson, who was crazy about the "Let's Make Love" actress. "He has his foot in the door of puberty, but that is only one of his problems. You are the other," Steinbeck quipped. Elaborating more about his nephew's obsession with Monroe, he shared how imagining her as anything less than otherworldly would be just shocking for Atikson. "I know you aren't made of celestial ether, but he doesn't. A suggestion that you have normal functions would shock him deeply, and I am not going to be the one to tell him," Steinbeck added.

Further, Steinbeck revealed that ever since his wife lied to Atkinson about him meeting Monroe, his nephew had been pestering him with all kinds of silly favors. Putting his hesitations aside, the author finally requested Monroe for a signed picture, mentioning his nephew so that he knows she is aware of his existence. "He is already your slave. This would make him mine," Steinbeck joked. Moreover, the author said that if the actress would be kind enough to send her signed photograph, he would send her a guest key to Fort Knox's entrance. Interestingly, the letter, written on April 28, 1955, was left to the famous acting coach, Lee Strasberg, by Monroe herself. Later, in 2016, it was sold for $3,520 to an archive.

The incredible story was once again brought to light when someone anonymous (u/timboooooooooo on Reddit) shared Steinbeck's heartwarming letter online. Meanwhile, u/caddy45 commented, "I’m making a mental note that this is near the top of written material that makes me take a few seconds and imagine my life as if I had been a great writer. I’ve read a couple of Steinbeck books, but apparently they didn’t impact me as this just did. This is awesome. Gonna go read more Steinbeck." Similarly, u/mellykidd said, "Honestly, I can’t tell if he really has a hormonal teen with a crush on her or if he’s just trying to hide that it’s really for himself. But it’s cleverly written either way."

u/telephonic1892 wrote, "Haha, the brazenness of this letter is amazing haha, totally different time. I bet Monroe was giggling reading it, haha. I hope she sent the most racy picture as well." On the other hand, u/misery-machine shared, "Steinbeck was truly a genius. I bet Marilyn laughed out loud reading this! What a cool piece of history. I wonder if little Jonny ever got his picture?"