How a Lock of Marilyn Monroe's Hair Led to Discovery of Her Father's Identity

Before she stunned the world wearing Marilyn Monroe's beaded gown, Kim Kardashian was given a special gift — a lock of Marilyn's platinum blond hair. It was given to her by Ripley's Believe It or Not, which also owns Monroe’s gown. 

Now, a different lock of Marilyn’s hair is being used to finally answer a longtime mystery: who is the Hollywood icon’s father?

“I actually have several different locks of her hair, but the one that is the most valuable that was able to prove her lineage, came from her embalmer,” said John Reznikoff, president of University Archives in Connecticut.

It was that lock of hair that was used to find the identity of Marilyn’s father. The DNA testing is the subject of a new documentary, “Marilyn: Her Final Secret” by filmmaker Francois Pomès.

Pomès tells Inside Edition that he is “100%” sure Marilyn’s father is Charles Stanley Gifford, who had a brief affair with Marilyn's mother Gladys in 1925. Marilyn always claimed Gifford was her dad, but he denied it.

It was big news for Francine Gifford Deir, the granddaughter of Charles Stanley Gifford. Deir’s DNA actually matched Marilyn, who Deir says was her aunt.

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