Kim Kardashian caused quite a stir when she stepped onto the Met Gala red carpet in Marilyn Monroe’s “Happy Birthday Mr. President” gown in May. What she may not have expected however was the conversation to continue nearly six weeks later. The reality star received a fresh wave of criticism earlier this month after the dress was returned to its museum – Ripley’s Believe It or Not! in Orlando, Florida – with visible and extensive damage to the once pristine artefact. Now, Kardashian has finally responded.

Kim Kardashian Marilyn Monroe
Actress Marilyn Monroe sings “Happy Birthday” to President John F. Kennedy at Madison Square Garden, for his upcoming 45th birthday.

In a conversation with the Today Show, Kardashian defended her decision to wear the dress (again) after noting she wore it for “maybe three or four minutes” and changed into a replica at the top of the red carpet stairs. Was it true she damaged the dress? “No,” she told the hosts. “There were handlers and there were gloves that put it on me.”

She was then asked about the controversy surrounding her dramatic weight loss of 16 pounds to just fit the dress. “I looked at it like a role and I really wanted to wear this dress. It was really important to me and it taught me a lot about my lifestyle and my health and since then, afterwards, I continued to eat really healthy…”

In addition, Ripley’s released a statement last week, defending the loan.  “The company understands the risks associated with this, but Ripley’s Believe It or Not! has been collecting notable pop-culture memorabilia, historical items, and unbelievable artefacts for over 100 years,” a statements reads on the museum website. “Our mission is to both entertain and educate visitors and fans, and sparking conversations like the discourse around Marilyn Monroe’s dress does just that. No matter which side of the debate you are on, the historical importance of the dress has not been negated, but rather highlighted. A entirely new group of young people has now been introduced to the legacy of Marilyn Monroe.”