Kim Kardashian Did Not Damage Marilyn Monroe Dress, Says Ripley's Museum

Kim Kardashian caused quite the stir when she donned Marilyn Monroe's iconic dress to the 2022 Met Gala ... but she did NOT cause any damage to the gown.

A recent photo floating around on social media allegedly showed the dress before and after Kim K took it out for a spin. However, a rep for Ripley's Believe It or Not! -- who bought the dress for $4.8 million in 2016 -- is coming to Kim's defense.

The rep tells us, "A report written on the dress’s condition in early 2017 states, “a number of the seams are pulled and worn. This is not surprising given how delicate the material is. There is puckering at the back by the hooks and eyes,” among other instances of damage."

Clearly, the "before" photo was taken before Ripley's even acquired the piece.

The rep tells us since the purchase of the dress, Ripley's has displayed it around the world -- a process that has also put the piece at risk for potential damage.

Amanda Joiner, Ripley's VP of Publishing and Licensing -- who was with Kim and the dress the entire day of The Met -- says, "From the bottom of the Met steps, where Kim got into the dress, to the top where it was returned, the dress was in the same condition it started in."

The dress is the exact same one Marilyn famously wore way back in 1962 for President John F. Kennedy's birthday when she sang for the Prez. Kim lost 16 pounds to fit into the piece after first being denied permission by Ripley's.

Kim had also been gifted a piece of Monroe's hair, and one of the accounts accusing her of damaging the dress also said the hair was fake ... that claim too, has been debunked.