Every Star Who Has Had a Marilyn Monroe 'Diamonds' Moment

The pink dress and glittering jewels are so iconic, it's no surprise these stars haven't been able to resist taking them for a spin down the stairs

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Photo: 20th Century-Fox Film Corporation/Courtesy Everett Collection

There's a reason this scene from 1953's Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is one of the most iconic (and, as you'll see, widely emulated) in movie history: No one breathes "Tiffany! Cartier! (or wears their diamonds) quite like Marilyn Monroe. But these stars have all given it a try, dressing up in that iconic shade of hot pink (and in some cases, surrounding themselves with suited-up escorts) in order to take a turn asking Harry Winston to tell them all about it.

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Ryan Gosling

Ryan Gosling performs "I'm Just Ken"; Marilyn Monroe DIAMONDS ARE A GIRL'S BEST FRIEND

PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty; Mary Evans/20TH CENTURY FOX/Ronald Grant/Everett Collection

The original gentleman who preferred blondes? Ken, whose bottomless love for Barbie served as the catalyst for Ryan Gosling to launch into song in the 2023 film — and again at the 2024 Oscars, wearing a Marilyn-pink suit and surrounded by cowboy hat-wearing Kens all donning striped pink sashes, a clear homage to the Marilyn moment.

02 of 16

Ana de Armas

Marilyn Monroe ; Blonde. Ana de Armas
20th Century Fox/Kobal/Shutterstock; Netflix

In the 2023 film Blonde, Ana de Armas had many double-take moments with the superstar she was portraying, but one of the most uncanny was her recreation of the film's famous number.

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Kylie Jenner

Kylie Jenner as Marilyn Monroe
Courtesy Kylie Jenner and Greg Swales

One of the beauty mogul's many (many) Halloween costumes in 2019 was this spot-on Marilyn recreation done for V magazine.

04 of 16

Julia Schlaepfer

celeb Halloween costumes
Ben Gabbe/Getty

Kylie wasn't the only star in a Marilyn mood for Halloween 2019: The Politician star attended a party in the iconic pink getup, while model Winnie Harlow staged a professional photoshoot in her fuchsia gown.

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Camila Cabello, 2018

2018 iHeartRadio Music Awards - Show
Rich Polk/Getty

Fans couldn't hold back their excitement on social media when the "Havana" singer took the stage at the iHeartRadio Music Awards to perform her hit single in a custom Walter Mendez pink satin strapless gown with high slit, matching boots and stacked diamond necklaces to pay homage to Marilyn's iconic performance.

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Ariana Grande, 2016

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Kevin Mazur/WireImage

Diamonds aren't just a girl's best friend - they're also pretty good pals with a "Dangerous Woman," as Ariana proved when she paired her custom pink Michael Costello gown with a 64-carat, 791-diamond Le Vian necklace and Harry Kotlar diamond studs for her performance at the MTV Movie Awards.

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Blake Lively

Blake Lively as Marilyn Monroe on Gossip Girl Episode 100
The CW

The star did her best Diamonds for a Gossip Girl dream sequence that saw Serena van der Woodsen's Marilyn Monroe competing with Blair Waldorf's Audrey Hepburn for the affection of Penn Badgley's be-suited suitor. (You'll see several other familiar faces in the clip!)

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Madonna, 1985

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Everett

Madonna's homage to the original "Material Girl" is almost as iconic as Marilyn's original performance - though she takes the concept one step farther by by kicking non-diamond-proffering suitors down the stairs.

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Bethenny Frankel, 2013

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Cindy Ord/Getty

The Real Housewife (at Heidi Klum's Halloween bash) set out to find out, once and for all, whether gentlemen do prefer blondes.

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James Franco, 2011

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GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty

The actor (serving as Oscars host) disappears into nearly any role - but we think his Marilyn may be a little less than convincing.

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Katie Couric, 2005

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Albert Ferreira/Reuters/Corbis

The original Marilyn got a phalanx of tuxedo-wearing actors to dance with her down the stairs. Katie's Today Show Halloween escorts were a superhero-styled Matt Lauer and Al Roker. (Upgrade or downgrade? That's for you to decide.)

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Kylie Minogue, 1999

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Kylie's live concert recreation of Marilyn's movie magic is as sparkling as the (presumably faux) jewels she's dripping in.

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Anna Nicole Smith, 2004

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Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic

The model drew Marilyn comparisons throughout her life for her peroxide hair, pouty lips and curvy figure, so it stood to reason she'd pose in one of her idol's most iconic looks for PETA and Playboy.

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Nicole Scherzinger, 2007

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Kevin Winter/Getty

The star performed the song for Movies Rock! but put plenty of her own twists on it, from outfitting her dancers in white tuxes to giving it a decidedly different dance breakdown.

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Glee, 2013

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FOX

You first heard this "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend"/"Material Girl" mashup in Moulin Rouge, but Glee's girls performed the jazzed-up medley wearing their take on the iconic ensemble.

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Paris Hilton, 2008

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Jason Merritt/FilmMagic

It wasn't Halloween, and Paris wasn't performing in any Marilyn tributes. She just stumbled into this lookalike moment. But should we be surprised? After all, she once said "I think every decade has an iconic blonde, like Marilyn Monroe or Princess Diana, and right now I'm that icon."

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