Kim Kardashian has been in a scorching hot seat ever since evidence came out suggesting she irreparably damaged Marilyn Monroe’s iconic dress at the Met Gala — but now someone is finally coming to her defense!

A before and after photo of Marilyn’s bedazzled gown (which she wore to sing Happy Birthday, Mr. President to President John F. Kennedy in 1962) quickly went viral after it appeared to show Kimmy Kakes had severely damaged the one-of-a-kind dress. In the photos, several jewels appear to have fallen off while the seam at the zipper is torn. And there was LOTS more proof of wear and tear all around the piece…

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Just take a look at some of the evidence for yourself (below):

Yeah, needless to say, historians and fans weren’t happy!! But do they have a reason to be mad? Maybe not!

On Thursday, a representative for Ripley’s Believe It Or Not!, who bought the dress in 2016 for $4.8 million, claimed the gown was NOT damaged at all, especially not when Kim was wearing it! They told TMZ:

“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.”

Oh damn! They brought receipts!

So, if this is true, that means they are suggesting the “before” photos now going viral would have been taken before Ripley’s acquired the famous fashion statement? Or at least all that damage had already been accounted for before the Met? Hmm.

Also, the rep insisted that the company often displays the gold outfit around the world — a process that always puts the piece at risk for potential damage, no matter how hard they try to avoid that. Then there’s also a statement from Amanda Joiner, Ripley’s VP of Publishing and Licensing (who was with Kim during the event), denying the rumors that The Kardashians star ruined Monroe’s original dress, explaining:

“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.”

Well, well well!

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After seeing all those photos — and there were many from various angles — it’s hard to believe the dress didn’t take any kind of beating. We also know that Kim couldn’t even zip the dress over her butt despite completing a controversial diet regime beforehand. So, is Ripley’s telling the truth or are they just trying to protect Kim from the hate?

Interestingly, the original claim that the gown was damaged came from the same account that accused Ripley’s of gifting Kim a fake lock of Marilyn’s hair, a claim that has also been debunked. So, maybe those really were all bulls**t?

No matter what, it’s clear the Ripley’s does not care for the drama – and they don’t have any hard feelings towards Kim no matter what happened. What about YOU, Perezcious readers? Are you convinced the mom of four didn’t damage the piece?

[Image via MEGA/WENN & Netflix/YouTube]