Kim Kardashian has been accused of returning Marilyn Monroe's iconic gold gown in 'poor condition' after she modelled it at the Met Gala last month.
The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star, 41, was heavily criticised by experts for donning the famous gown which has become known as Monroe's iconic 'Happy Birthday Mr President' dress after she wore it while serenading US president, John F. Kennedy in 1962.
So, when Kim rocked up to the annual NYC Met Gala wearing the iconic gold gown, tongues immediately started wagging.
The reality TV star notably dropped 16 pounds ahead of the event in order to squeeze into famous frock, and she then proceeded to change into a replica once off the red carpet as the original failed to fit her properly.
Following Kim's daring Met Gala debut, The Marilyn Monroe Collection have shared photos of the dress allegedly on display at Ripley's Believe It or Not, claiming it now has 'missing crystals' - some of which were 'left hanging by a thread.'
However, a source close to Kim has denied the allegations, telling DailyMail.com that the images are 'not accurate' and the claims that the reality TV star had damaged the dress are 'completely false'.
The insider insisted that the famous frock already had signs of wear before Ripley's bought it as they noted that Kim only wore the gown for less than 15 minutes while walking the red carpet.
Kim had been loaned the gown by officials at the Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum, where the 60-year-old dress has been stored in a temperature-controlled environment since it was bought for a staggering $5 million back in 2016.
Following official's decision to lend the dress to the reality TV star, historians have slammed the museum after viral images of Monroe's dress have emerged after Kim's Met Gala debut.
The comparison images of Marilyn's gold gown - which have now gone viral - were snapped by ChadMichael Morrisette at the museum's Hollywood location on Sunday, June 12.
Alongside the snaps, the furious fashion expert penned: "'So much for keeping 'the integrity of the dress and the preservation'. @ripleysbelieveitornot, was it worth it?' read one caption.
While there is no way to confirm the validity of the images, hundreds of fans flocked to blast both Kim and Ripley's as the photos surfaced online.
"Missing so many crystals and those tears," one person wrote.
"It looks like it's in a state after all those years of protection. So sad," another echoed.
"She should have never been allowed to borrow the dress in the first place," someone else complained.
"Just goes to show that if you're a big celebrity, you can literally get anything you want. This was a piece of history and now it's ruined," moaned another social media user.
It comes after Kim wore the dress for a mere 15 minutes in May and Ripley's museum released a statement insisting that the dress was in 'great' condition following the red carpet run.
"Great care was taken to preserve this piece of pop culture history,' Ripley's said.
"With input from garment conservationists, appraisers, and archivists, the garment’s condition was top priority. Believe It or Not! no alterations were to be made to the dress and Kim even changed into a replica after the red carpet."
Kim also admitted that she had been 'respectful' to the gown during a Vogue interview before the Met.
“I’m extremely respectful to the dress and what it means to American history," she told.
“I would never want to sit in it or eat in it or have any risk of any damage to it and I won’t be wearing the kind of body makeup I usually do.”
The Mirror has reached out to Kim's representatives for comment on this story.
