De Dienes' association with Marilyn Monroe began in 1945 when he hired her for her first modeling job at nineteen. A five week road trip photographing the young Norma Jean across California, Nevada, and New Mexico resulted in a love affair and numerous magazine covers around the world. Their working relationship continued until 1953.

Today de Dienes' images of Monroe are considered to be among the best studies ever taken. Andre de Dienes' work on nudes generated twenty-four books published in the U.S., England, and Germany. Marilyn Mon Amour was published by St. Martin's Press in 1985 and Marilyn was published by Taschen in 2002. Married twice, de Dienes died in 1985. He is survived by his second wife, Shirley T. Ellis de Dienes.