According to History, 34-year-old Jayne Mansfield, her driver, and her boyfriend, died when their car slammed into the back of a semi-truck on their way to New Orleans. Her children, Mariska, Zoltan, and Mickey Jr. had been asleep in the back of the car and were injured but miraculously survived. People reports that Hargitay was only 3 at the time of her mother's death. She has gone on to say that she's dealt with the loss by leaning into it. Per the New York Post , Hargitay has stated that the death taught her that there are no guarantees in life and that she has spent the majority of hers dealing with her grief and healing.
However, Hargitay believes that being the daughter of someone so famous can at times be burdensome. She wants to be known for being her own person, and not just Jayne Mansfield's daughter (via DoYouRemember?). Nonetheless, Hargitay embraces her memory and believes there's so much more to Mansfield than her sex symbol status (per Today). She was an inspirational mother of five who was incredibly intelligent. After her death, Hargitay and her siblings were raised by her father and stepmother. Hargitay, who strongly resembles Mansfield, says that all she has to do is look in the mirror and see that her mother is still with her.
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