James Dougherty was a Los Angeles police detective who made Hollywood history when he married Norma Jean Baker in the early 1940s, years before she became the iconic sex symbol, Marilyn Monroe. He was Monroe’s first husband. 

Netflix’s biopic series Blonde premiered on September 8 this year. Directed by Andrew Dominik, Blonde is centred around Joyce Carol Oates’ bestselling novel. The film boldly reinterprets the life of one of Hollywood’s most charismatic icons Marilyn Monroe. Besides starring Ana De Armas as Monroe, the cast also includes an ensemble of Hollywood A-listers such as Adrien Brody, Bobby Cannavale, Xavier Samuel, and Julianne Nicholson. 

Who was James Dougherty?

James Edward Dougherty was born in Texas on April 21, 1921. He was the fifth child of Colorado natives, Edward and Ethel Dougherty. Hailing from a humble background, James’ family was severely affected during the Great Depression. 

Dougherty, a former Van Nuys High School football captain and class president, was 20 and working the late shifts at Lockheed Aircraft in January 1942 when he began dating 15-year-old Norma Jean Baker.

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The couple married on June 19, 1942, after only a few months of dating and just two days after Monroe’s 16th birthday. “We decided to marry to keep her out of a foster home,” Dougherty later admitted in a 1990 interview, “but we were in love.”

After a honeymoon at a lake in Ventura County, the newlyweds settled into a studio apartment in Sherman Oaks. Dougherty enlisted in the merchant marine in 1944 and was originally appointed to teach sea safety on Catalina Island.

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Hollywood soon enticed Monroe. When her relationship with her absent husband fell apart as her career ambitions grew, she sought a quick divorce in Las Vegas; the marriage ended in September 1946.

Dougherty married Patricia Scotsman in 1947, and the couple was blessed with three daughters. He was later appointed by the LPPD as a detective in 1949. He was instrumental in the formation of the Special Weapons and Tactics group and was the first officer to train it. However, the couple soon divorced due to irreconcilable conflicts. Dougherty later married his final wife, Rita Lambert, in 1974. 

Dougherty and his friend Jane Russell were featured on Sally In 1992, alongside Susan Strasberg. During his lifetime, he published two memoirs: The Secret Happiness of Marilyn Monroe and To Norma Jeane With Love, Jimmie. He also worked in the documentary The Discovery of Marilyn Monroe.

He passed away on August 15, 2005.