On June 27, HBO will premiere the deeply personal and moving documentary, MY MOM JAYNE, a film by Mariska Hargitay. This HBO Original not only marks Hargitay’s directorial debut, but also opens a heartfelt window into her journey to understand the woman behind the Hollywood icon—her mother, Jayne Mansfield.
Jayne Mansfield was more than a sex symbol of the 1950s and ’60s. She was a talented actress, a loving mother, and a woman whose life was cut tragically short at the age of 34. In 1967, when Mansfield died in a car accident, Mariska Hargitay was only three years old. Nearly six decades later, Hargitay sets out to explore her mother’s story in a way she never has before.
MY MOM JAYNE offers an intimate and emotional exploration of identity, memory, and legacy. Through never-before-seen home movies, photographs, and candid interviews with those who knew Jayne best, the film peels back the glamorous façade to reveal the complex, intelligent, and vulnerable woman behind the image. For Hargitay, this project is not just about history—it’s about healing.
“This movie is a labor of love and longing,” Hargitay says. “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.”
Already an accomplished producer with the Emmy®-winning HBO documentary I Am Evidence, Hargitay steps into a new role as director with remarkable emotional depth and authenticity. This is not just a film about fame—it’s a story about family, resilience, and the power of revisiting the past to better understand the present.
Streaming on Max and premiering on HBO, MY MOM JAYNE promises to be a poignant tribute and a revelatory experience, both for those who remember Jayne Mansfield and for a new generation who will meet her—through her daughter’s eyes—for the very first time.
Don’t miss the premiere on June 27. This is more than a documentary—it’s a love letter across time.
