For years, Berniece Baker Miracle had no clue whether her mother was alive or that she even had a little sister named Norma Jeane. Little did she know, Berniece shared many similarities with her half-sister, a troubled girl best known today as Marilyn Monroe.
Tragic Beginnings
To begin with, both Berniece and Norma had tumultuous childhoods. After her parents divorced, Berniece’s father kidnapped her and her brother Robert and brought them to Kentucky. Berniece, however, was completely oblivious to the drama surrounding her parents’ split. It’s no wonder that fate had some wild surprises in store for her.
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A Shocking Letter
Tragically, Berniece’s brother Robert died in 1933, and it wasn’t until 1938 that she learned of Norma’s existence. A letter from her mother, Gladys Baker, shed a shocking light on her family history. At the time, Berniece was 19 and Norma Jeane was only 12. When the two women finally got to meet in 1944, they immediately felt an undeniable connection.
Sotheby's/Newsmakers, Getty Images
Meeting For The First Time
Berniece, for one, was blown away by the obvious resemblance between the two of them. They both had similar mouths and color of hair, though Berniece had brown eyes while Norma’s were blue. Only two years later, Norma Jeane became Marilyn Monroe—one of Hollywood’s most tragic icons.
When Marilyn fatally overdosed in 1962, it was Berniece who picked out light green dress she would be buried in, as well as her casket.
