My Mom Jayne: Everything we know about the latest HBO documentary on Jayne Mansfield

The latest HBO documentary on the legendary yesteryear star Jayne Mansfield, My Mom Jayne, had a limited theatrical release on 20th June, 25. It is produced by Mighty Entertainment and HBO Documentary Films.

In the 1950s-60s, Jayne Mansfield was considered a renowned actress. Unfortunately, at the age of just 34, the Hollywood icon passed away due to a car accident.

Helmed by the veteran star's daughter, actor and filmmaker Mariska Hargitay, this documentary looks into the life of Jayne Mansfield's history and her personal stories. In this documentary, Hargitay is on a quest to rediscover and know her late mother in a deeper sense. In this documentary, we witness Jayne Mansfield's truth not from what the media have portrayed, but from the perspective of her near and dear ones.

Let us dive into more details about the documentary My Mom Jayne.

What is My Mom Jayne about? Details explored

This documentary is made by Jayne Mansfield's daughter, Mariska Hargitay, who is an accomplished actor and filmmaker. She is a Golden Globe and Emmy award-winning personality who is best known for her acting work in the series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999-present).

My Mom Jayne was born from a daughter's quest to know her late mother, whom she had no memories of. Jayne Mansfield passed away in the year 1967 when Mariska Hargitay was at the tender age of only 3.

In this documentary, Hargitay rediscovers her mother's story from the lens of the rest of the family. It humanizes the iconic personality behind the screen and gives us an intimate, poignant, vulnerable, and honest insight into her life, way beyond her role as an actor. In the process, Hargitay also opens up about certain discomforting truths that she witnesses about herself as well.

This documentary serves not only as a lens for the public to learn the never-before-revealed stories about the icon but also becomes a healing space for both the daughter and the mother. It feels as if it is a moment of embrace and acceptance between the two individuals, wrapped up as a documentary.

While speaking to Variety, Mariska Hargitay expressed her thoughts and vision behind making My Mom Jayne, as she speaks:

“This movie is a labor of love and longing. It’s a search for the mother I never knew, an integration of a part of myself I’d never owned, and a reclaiming of my mother’s story and my own truth,”

“I’ve always believed there is strength in vulnerability, and the process of making this film has confirmed that belief like never before.”

Jayne Mansfield's work, life, and legacy have been groundbreaking and legendary. It has undoubtedly paved the path for the future women actors in Hollywood.

Born in 1933, Jayne Mansfield tasted immense success in Hollywood even though her career was transient. Within that span, the actor was honored with a Golden Globe as well as the Theater World Award. She was a model for the Playboy magazine, before making a career in films.

She was a successful stage actor too. She rose to fame after playing the role of Rita Marlowe in both the stage and screen adaptations of Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?, and also in films including The Wayward Bus (1957), Too Hot to Handle (1960), It Happened in Athens (1962), Promises! Promises! (1963), Panic Button (1964), and many more.

Upon the release of the documentary, it was quite well-received. It has garnered an impressive score of 8.6/10 on IMDb and a massive 100% at Rotten Tomatoes.

My Mom Jayne is available to stream on HBO's Max, from 27th June 2025.