Mariska Hargitay Learns She Was Left Behind at Scene of Fatal Crash That Killed Her Mother Jayne Mansfield

Hargitay was only 3 years old when her mother was killed instantly in the 1967 car accident.
Mariska Hargitay Learns She Was Left Behind at Scene of Fatal Crash That Killed Her Mother Jayne Mansfield
Mariska Hargitay poses during the "My Mom Jayne: A Film By Mariska Hargitay" photocall at the 78th annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France, on May 18, 2025. Pascal Le Segretain /Getty Images
|Updated:
0:00

Nearly six decades after the car accident that claimed the life of Hollywood actress Jayne Mansfield, her daughter, Mariska Hargitay, has revealed a haunting new detail—she was initially left behind in the wreckage.

In her new HBO documentary, “My Mom Jayne,” which premiered at the 2025 Tribeca Festival in New York on June 13, Hargitay—now 61—uncovers the revelation during an emotional conversation with her brother, Zoltan Hargitay. The documentary marks the Emmy-winning actress’s directorial debut and offers an intimate portrait of her mother’s life and legacy and the tragic night that changed everything.

Haika Mrema
Haika Mrema
Author
Haika Mrema is a freelance entertainment reporter for The Epoch Times. She is an experienced writer and has covered entertainment and higher-education content for platforms such as Campus Reform and Media Research Center. She holds a B.B.A. from Baylor University where she majored in marketing.