Monroe Author Flees (Press, 8 August 1989)

On 8 August 1989, Ted Jordan, a man in his 60s who wrote a book about his former lover and friend, Marilyn Monroe, made an unexpected return to the United States on the anniversary of her death. After spending only eight hours in New Zealand, Jordan boarded a flight at Auckland Airport headed for Los Angeles, just before starting a publicity tour for his book, titled "Norma Jean, a Hollywood Love Story." Catriona McEwan, a publicist for the book’s Auckland publisher, Sidgwick and Jackson, expressed her shock and concern upon discovering that Jordan had not checked into his hotel as planned. He had instead left a message stating he was returning to Los Angeles due to illness. McEwan described Jordan as a "very sad old man" who seemed to be living in the past. She noted that while his publicity tour in Australia had been successful, he faced significant criticism in England for the candidness of his book about Monroe. The book is intended to set the record straight regarding Monroe's life and their relationship. "Norma Jean, a Hollywood Love Story" explores their friendship during their teenage years, their romantic involvement, her complicated relationships, including a lesbian affair with Jordan’s wife, her struggles with addiction, her tumultuous marriages, and ultimately, her tragic death. McEwan believed that the significance of the anniversary weighed heavily on Jordan's mind as he made his hasty departure. She remarked that Jordan's feelings for Monroe remained strong, indicating that he still deeply loved her despite the years that had passed since her death.

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