More than fifty years after the glittering life and tragic death of Hollywood sex symbol Jayne Mansfield, her daughter—TV powerhouse Mariska Hargitay—is stepping behind the camera to tell a story that’s deeply personal and decades overdue. In her emotional directorial debut, My Mom Jayne, which premiered at Cannes on May 17, 2025, Mariska strips away the bombshell persona to uncover the raw, human story of the woman the world knew only through silver screen curves and headlines.
At 61, Mariska is best known as the fierce and fearless Detective Olivia Benson on Law & Order: SVU, but in this deeply moving documentary, she trades scripted drama for her own unfiltered truth. Losing her mother in a horrific car crash at just 3 years old, Mariska grew up haunted by memories she didn’t have and stories that didn’t quite add up. In the wreckage that claimed Mansfield’s life in 1967, Mariska and her two older brothers—Zoltan and Mickey Jr.—miraculously survived. But her own rescue nearly didn’t happen. Zoltan vividly recalls realizing his little sister was missing as their damaged car was being cleared, prompting a frantic return to find her injured and tucked beneath a seat.
My Mom Jayne is more than a tribute—it’s a reckoning. Mariska combed through old family videos, photographs, and testimonies to piece together a portrait of the mother she barely knew. What she unearthed was not only Mansfield’s truth—but her own.
The most jaw-dropping revelation? For over 30 years, Mariska carried a secret about her own identity. Though raised by actor and bodybuilder Mickey Hargitay, at 25 she stumbled upon whispers—and a photograph—that suggested her biological father could be someone else: Las Vegas showman Nelson Sardelli. The resemblance was undeniable. When she finally met him, Sardelli reportedly told her, “I’ve waited 30 years for this.” That long-lost connection led her to two half-sisters—Sardelli’s daughters—who also appear in the documentary, bridging gaps in a family torn by silence.
But Mariska didn’t stop there. With courage and care, she exposed darker layers of Mansfield’s world. Her siblings hint at a hidden history of abuse—recollections of bruises masked by sunglasses and quiet pain behind the glamour. Tony Cimber, Mansfield’s youngest, offers brief but telling memories from her final marriage to director Matt Cimber, giving voice to shadows that lingered behind the bright lights.
One eerie twist: Mariska and Jayne both lost a parent in a car crash at age three—a cruel, almost poetic echo that has shaped Mariska’s life in haunting ways. Despite never truly knowing her mother, she says the connection never faded. And now, with this film, she’s reclaiming it.
In My Mom Jayne, Hargitay doesn’t just mourn the mother she lost—she reintroduces her to the world. The result is a documentary full of tenderness, heartbreak, and a fierce need to uncover the truth. Mansfield may have lived in the spotlight, but thanks to her daughter, her story now has the depth, nuance, and dignity it always deserved.
What secrets still lie beneath the surface of this star-studded tragedy? One thing’s certain—Mariska has only just begun to shine a new light on Jayne Mansfield’s legacy.
Share this with anyone who still believes Hollywood’s golden age was all glitz—because sometimes, the most unforgettable stories happen after the credits roll.