Playboy and Marilyn Monroe are seen as having a symbiotic relationship. But the truth is far more uncomfortable. The Gentlemen Prefer Blondes star appeared on the cover of the very first issue of Playboy, published in 1953. The magazine published nude photographs of Monroe that were taken in 1949, when she was an unknown actress. She agreed to pose nude for pin-up photographer Tom Kelley to earn some income. Hefner purchased the rights to use the photographs, and published them in the magazine without seeking Monroe's consent.