Even with a restraining order on installation, the Forever Marilyn statue is still on track to return to Palm Springs

A judge issued a temporary restraining order Monday, March 29th, to halt the installation of the Forever Marilyn statue. This is in reference to the opposition group, Committee to Relocate Marilyn (CReMa), and their lawsuit on the statue returning to Palm Springs on Museum Way.

“The people who support Marilyn in front of the museum believe that she will bring tourists to town and we are not disputing that. The only thing we are disputing is her placement on Museum Way,” said co-founder of CReMa, Trina Turk.

This could mean the statues grand unveiling could be pushed back farther than April 25th. The next hearing will be on April 9th. As of Tuesday, March 30th, the Forever Marilyn statue is on track to make the journey back to the desert April 5th with a grand unveiling set for April 25th.

“We feel like the museum is the most important cultural institution in the city of Palm Springs. It’s a beautiful example of mid-century modern architecture which is also a tourist draw,” said Turk.

Some locals argue the city is violating codes and planning zoning laws in closing Museum Way. They also argue it interferes with a 2016 downtown Palm Springs plan the community fought for.

“Museum Way was part of that plan. It was an unobstructed view from Palm Canyon Drive to the museum,” said Turk, referring to a 2016 plan that designated a place for Marilyn at the downtown park. “We just don’t understand why there was this last minute switch, done in kind of an unusual way, without a lot of opportunity for public feedback."

On the other hand, the mayor for the city of Palm Springs, Christy Holstege said they did hold public meetings about the statues return.

“It’s unfortunate that there’s litigation happening around this statue. We did hold a public hearing and public meetings about this topic, and we didn’t hear this opposition,” said Holstege. “We’re hearing it now that we have a signed agreement to move forward."

As of Tuesday, March 30, Marilyn is still set to begin her journey back to the desert April 5th from New Jersey with a grand unveiling April 25th. 

“Marilyn has a place in hearts for our residents in palm springs, in our community, and in our history,” said Holstege. She added that they will wait and see what the courts decide.