Mariska Hargitay has always worn her heart on her sleeve, but over the weekend the Law & Order: SVU star shared one of her most personal and moving tributes yet.
In a post that left fans around the world wiping away tears, the actress posted a photo of herself and her children visiting her late mother Jayne Mansfield’s grave, a moment that stirred a tidal wave of emotion.
“We live you more each day,” the headstone reads beneath a heart-shaped marble stone that marks the final resting place of Jayne, the blonde bombshell actress whose life was tragically cut short in a 1967 car crash on June 29.
Mariska, who was only three years old at the time of her mother’s death, shared the post to mark what is clearly an emotional chapter in her life: the recent release of her HBO documentary My Mom Jayne.
The documentary, which premiered on June 27, is more than a film. It is a journey of self-discovery, healing and truth for Mariska, who told The View last week, “I’ve been preparing for this my whole life.”
© InstagramIn the Instagram photo, Mariska stands silently next to her children as they gently place flowers by the gravestone.
The image, which has already been liked by more than 14,000 followers, struck a powerful chord. One fan commented, “Jayne is always with you. This picture shows so much love.” Another wrote, “When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure. Fly high with the angels beautiful Jayne.”
© Sunset BoulevardIn the documentary, Mariska reveals long-kept family secrets, including the shocking truth that Mickey Hargitay, the Hungarian-born bodybuilder who raised her and was believed to be her father, is not her biological father.
That man, as Mariska reveals for the first time, was Brazilian-Italian singer Nelson Sardelli, with whom her mother had an affair while divorcing Mickey.
“I still can’t believe that the story has never come out,” Mariska told Entertainment Weekly. “And I still believe that somehow my story was divinely protected, so that I got to tell it on my timing.”
© InstagramThough the revelation was life-altering, Mariska recalls the love and unwavering support of the man she still calls her father. “I went up to my dad’s house and I was hysterically crying and in a state, and he was… how about this metaphor: my dad was physically building me a house,” she told People. When she confronted him with the news, Mickey simply replied, “You’re a Hargitay to the end.”
Her HBO documentary takes viewers behind the headlines of Jayne Mansfield’s life, beyond the curves and bombshell persona, and paints a portrait of a woman who wanted more than Hollywood ever allowed her to be.
Jayne, once touted as the next Marilyn Monroe, struggled to be taken seriously. “She wanted to be an actress. And that’s what she was her whole life,” Mariska said. “They turned her into this limited sex symbol, and said, ‘That’s what you are.'”
Mariska’s Instagram post comes just days after she gave a powerful interview on The View, speaking of her mother’s legacy and how it shaped her own journey. “My father always told me, ‘Nobody defines you. You decide.’ And that is something that I really impart to my kids,” she said.
© InstagramThe actress, who has played Olivia Benson on Law & Order: SVU since 1999, shared that her entire career may have been an unconscious rebellion against the superficial image placed upon her mother. In many ways, Olivia Benson — tough, principled, and unwavering in her pursuit of justice — is everything Jayne wasn’t allowed to be in her own career.
The documentary also reveals the haunting story of the 1967 crash that killed Jayne. Mariska and her brothers were in the car but survived. In a harrowing detail shared in the film, she says she was almost left behind at the crash site, unconscious and hidden beneath the wreckage, until her brother asked rescuers, “Where is my sister?”
Mariska’s candidness and vulnerability in My Mom Jayne have touched the hearts of many. Fans took to Instagram to share how the film has impacted them personally. “Beautiful documentary about your mom,” wrote one fan. Another added, “I watched it twice. Brilliant.”
My Mom Jayne is now streaming on HBO Max.
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