Frank Sinatra Was Infatuated With Marilyn Monroe, A New Biography Reveals

A new Frank Sinatra biography has revealed some interesting details about the crooner’s obsession with Marilyn Monroe and their long, turbulent relationship. New details have come to light suggesting Sinatra was besotted with Monroe and even proposed to her.

Frank Sinatra and Marilyn Monroe photographed together in 1962 at Sinatra's house in Nevada.

The new biography, entitled Sinatra the Chairman, has been written by James Kaplan. It reveals details of Sinatra’s relationship with a number of women including his wives Ava Gardner and Mia Farrow. Most interesting of all is his relationship with Monroe.

According to reports in NY Daily News, the biography alleges Sinatra saw himself as Monroe’s saviour. Monroe, who infamously suffered with drug addiction and mental health issues, died tragically in 1962 at the age of 36 after overdosing on barbiturates.

In the years before her death, when she and Sinatra were at the height of their fame, they came into frequent contact and Sinatra reportedly developed an obsession with Monroe. This caused some problems with Monroe’s second husband, baseball legend Joe DiMaggio, and the two allegedly argued as they both saw themselves as Monroe’s saviour. Their animosity continued even after Monroe’s death and DiMaggio, despite divorcing Monroe seven years before her death, barred Sinatra from her funeral.

It appears Sinatra and Monroe’s romantic – and/or sexual – relationship began in 1961. Reports are conflicting on who instigating their entanglement with some sources claiming Monroe, frequently inebriated, went out of her way to throw herself at Sinatra in front of the press.

On the other hand, talent manager Milt Ebbins claimed “there was no doubt that Frank was in love with Marilyn.”

Either way, their intimate relationship ended the same year. Sinatra allegedly still held a flame for his former lover and, when it was obvious Monroe was seriously struggling the following year, he spent a weekend with her at his Nevada estate. He reportedly offered to marry her to ‘save her from herself’ but Monroe rejected his proposal.

“Yeah, Frank wanted to marry the broad,” Jilly Rizzo, one of Sinatra’s bodyguards revealed. “He asked her and she said no.”