Gladys Baker

Gladys Pearl Baker (May 27, 1902 – May 11, 1984) was the mother of actress and cultural icon Marilyn Monroe. Born in Mexico to American parents, she spent much of her life battling mental illness and financial hardship. Her unstable condition resulted in Marilyn Monroe (born Norma Jeane Mortenson) spending much of her childhood in foster care or with family friends.

Baker worked primarily as a film cutter in Hollywood studios, a profession she entered after marrying her first husband, Jasper Newton "Jap" Baker, whom she divorced. While she later remarried, she continued to struggle with her mental health, diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and frequently institutionalized.

Her complicated relationship with her daughter, Marilyn Monroe, significantly shaped Monroe's life and public persona. Monroe's own struggles with mental health and feelings of abandonment are often linked to her mother's condition and absence during her formative years. The identity of Marilyn Monroe's biological father remains a subject of ongoing debate and speculation, adding to the complex narrative surrounding Gladys Baker's life and legacy.