Actress Jayne Mansfield's daughter, Mariska Hargitay, has recently revealed unknown secrets about her mother in the new documentary titled "My Mom Jayne," which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday. The documentary traces the life, career, and legacy of the late actress, who was married three times and later died in a horrific car crash.
Jayne Mansfield's life has always been a source of intrigue for many, both during her lifetime and even after her death. The new documentary, directed by her daughter, Mariska Hargitay, whom she shared with her husband, Mickey Hargitay, delves into Mariska's parentage, the tragic accident, and other intimate details that help understand her mother in a new light.
More about Jayne Mansfield's marriages
Jayne Mansfield, who was born Vera Vane Palmer, married her first husband, Paul Mansfield, on 6 May 1950, when she was just seventeen years old and already pregnant with the couple's first child. The couple had previously met at a party while they were in high school.
They welcomed their daughter, Jayne Marie Mansfield, in November 1950. According to Woman's World, the marriage was turbulent from the beginning, as Paul did not support Jayne's aspirations to pursue a career in acting.
After five years of marriage, the couple went their separate ways, and Jayne Mansfield filed for divorce in 1956. The couple later went through a long and contested divorce proceeding, during which Paul unsuccessfully attempted to get sole custody of their daughter. The divorce was finalized in 1958, by which time Jayne Mansfield had already established herself in the industry, having won the Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year for her performance in "The Girl Can't Help It."
During this time, she also met Mickey Hargitay, with whom she began a relationship. The two were paired opposite each other in several films, and eventually married in 1958, shortly after her divorce from her first husband. It was previously known that the couple had three children, Mickey Jr., Zoltan, and Mariska Hargitay. However, during the course of their marriage, according to reports, the "Promises, Promises!" actress had a string of affairs, which led to their divorce in 1964 after six years of marriage.
In the recent documentary, "My Mom Jayne," directed by Mariska Hargitay, it is revealed that her biological father was not Mickey Hargitay, as previously known, but rather singer Nelson Sardelli, who had previously been romantically linked with the "The Loves of Hercules" actress.
According to People Magazine, Jayne Mansfield later married Matt Cimber in September 1964, and the couple welcomed their son, Tony Cimber, in the same year. The marriage was tumultuous, and they filed for divorce less than two years later in July 1966. During this time, Jayne Mansfield's career was faltering, and in June, even before the divorce proceedings were finalized, she passed away on 29 June 1967. According to multiple sources, the car she was traveling in collided with a trailer truck, killing her, her lawyer, Sam Brody, and the driver. Three of her five children were also in the car, but miraculously escaped with only minor injuries.
In the new documentary, "My Mom Jayne," all of Jayne Mansfield's children make an appearance to speak about their mother, as does Mariska Hargitay's biological father, Nelson Sardelli.
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