The tragic death of Jayne Mansfield: details of childhood and trauma of Mariska Hargitay
29 june 2025 в 01:13
In the documentary film «My Mother Jane», - Mariska Hargitay reveals details of her childhood and the trauma that followed the tragic death of her late mother Jane Mansfield in 1967.
Jane was at the center of Hollywood in the 1950s. Although at the time she was known as the stereotypical «dumb blonde bombshell», - Jane was a hardworking woman until the end of her life. Born Vera Jane Palmer, Jane became famous for her roles in box office hits such as «Too Hot to Handle», - and she won a Theatre World Award for her work on Broadway.
Jane died on June 28, 1967, while in a car heading to New Orleans, where she was scheduled to appear on the «Midday Show». In the front seat of the car were Jane, her lawyer and partner at the time Sam Brody, and 19-year-old driver Ronald B. Harrison. Three of Jane’s children, including Mariska, were in the back seat of the car, along with four of Jane’s dogs.
Just before 2:30 a.m., the car crashed into the back of a tractor-trailer that had slowed down due to a mosquito-spraying truck. Two dogs in the car died along with three adults, but all of Jane’s children survived with minor injuries.
Although the cause of Jane’s death was determined to be a «crushed skull with avulsion of the cranium and brain», - there were rumors that she had been decapitated. Photos emerged showing a blonde in the car’s windshield, but several sources reported that it may have been just a wig.
Jane was only 34 years old when she died in 1967.
Jane’s children Mariska, Zoltan, and Mickey Jr. — whom she shared with her second husband Mickey Hargitay — survived the car crash. The siblings recounted their traumatic memories in Mariska’s 2025 documentary film «My Mother Jane», - recalling that their then three-year-old sister was almost left behind at the accident scene.
Mariska was raised by Mickey after her late mother’s death in 1967. However, Mickey is not the biological father of the «Law & Order: Special Victims Unit» star. Decades after Jane’s death, Mariska revealed in 2025 that her biological father is a man named Nelson Sardelli, a comedian and singer with whom Jane had a romance towards the end of her marriage to Mickey.
«My Mother Jane» is currently available on HBO and Max for viewing. The documentary film was released on June 27, 2025, after Mariska showcased it at the Tribeca Film Festival
Jane was at the center of Hollywood in the 1950s. Although at the time she was known as the stereotypical «dumb blonde bombshell», - Jane was a hardworking woman until the end of her life. Born Vera Jane Palmer, Jane became famous for her roles in box office hits such as «Too Hot to Handle», - and she won a Theatre World Award for her work on Broadway.
Jane died on June 28, 1967, while in a car heading to New Orleans, where she was scheduled to appear on the «Midday Show». In the front seat of the car were Jane, her lawyer and partner at the time Sam Brody, and 19-year-old driver Ronald B. Harrison. Three of Jane’s children, including Mariska, were in the back seat of the car, along with four of Jane’s dogs.
Just before 2:30 a.m., the car crashed into the back of a tractor-trailer that had slowed down due to a mosquito-spraying truck. Two dogs in the car died along with three adults, but all of Jane’s children survived with minor injuries.
Although the cause of Jane’s death was determined to be a «crushed skull with avulsion of the cranium and brain», - there were rumors that she had been decapitated. Photos emerged showing a blonde in the car’s windshield, but several sources reported that it may have been just a wig.
Jane was only 34 years old when she died in 1967.
Jane’s children Mariska, Zoltan, and Mickey Jr. — whom she shared with her second husband Mickey Hargitay — survived the car crash. The siblings recounted their traumatic memories in Mariska’s 2025 documentary film «My Mother Jane», - recalling that their then three-year-old sister was almost left behind at the accident scene.
Mariska was raised by Mickey after her late mother’s death in 1967. However, Mickey is not the biological father of the «Law & Order: Special Victims Unit» star. Decades after Jane’s death, Mariska revealed in 2025 that her biological father is a man named Nelson Sardelli, a comedian and singer with whom Jane had a romance towards the end of her marriage to Mickey.
«My Mother Jane» is currently available on HBO and Max for viewing. The documentary film was released on June 27, 2025, after Mariska showcased it at the Tribeca Film Festival
© Kolganov Andrey
