The Pink Palace's Ghost.

One of America's top pinup beauties perished horribly and violently on June 29, 1967, along a desolate road close to Biloxi, Mississippi. Her passing had a depressing impact on the Hollywood film industry and odd consequences in the occult scene at the time. The death of Jayne Mansfield was allegedly brought on by a curse gone wrong, but was this just a 1960s publicity ploy orchestrated by the "head priest of the occult"? Even stranger, could her enigmatic demise be the cause of her previous home's reputed haunting by her restless ghost up to its destruction in 2002?

She spent the majority of her childhood in Phillipsburg, New Jersey after being born Vera Jayne Palmer on April 19, 1933, in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Her father, Herbert, passed away from a heart attack when she was three years old, while they were all riding in the same automobile. Her mother continued to teach after his passing, and the family relocated to Dallas, Texas, in 1939 after Vera Palmer remarried. After graduating from high school, Jayne attended Southern Methodist University in Dallas to study acting and physics since she had always wanted to be an actress.

Jayne wed Paul Mansfield covertly in January 1950. The following few years, while her husband was in the army, she balanced parenthood with attending college. She participated in a theatre production of "Death of a Salesman" in 1953, the same year she discovered her passion for acting. She was a multiple beauty contest winner when she lived in Texas, but few were aware of her intelligence. She was a fluent violinist and pianist with a 163 IQ, in addition to speaking five different languages. The audience was more interested in her appearance and the size of her breasts, she subsequently acknowledged, than her intelligence.

When Jayne continued to be interested in acting, Paul Mansfield, who had hoped she would lose interest, traveled to Los Angeles with her in an effort to launch a film career. In between working at several odd jobs, Jayne attended UCLA to study acting. She was cast in supporting roles by Warner Brothers to start her film career after one of its talent scouts saw her in a play at the Pasadena Playhouse. She began with little roles until landing a larger one in the dramatic movie THE BURGLAR. When Jayne's career was at its height and she was well recognized for many different sorts of roles, it wasn't released until two years later.

She first makes an appearance in a theatrical piece called "Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?" where she is first seen wearing nothing but a towel. The Girl Can't Help It, a campy comedy that she starred in in 1956, followed. She was a retired racketeer's tone-deaf, excessively voluptuous girlfriend. A lot of moviegoers were successfully introduced to rock & roll by the movie's early appearances by Little Richard, The Platters, and Fats Domino.

She got a deal with 20th Century Fox in May 1956 and appeared in THE WAYWARD BUS, a John Steinbeck-based movie, in a pure dramatic part. She made an effort to distance herself from the "dumb blonde" label and position herself as a professional actress. Carroll Baker and Natalie Wood were beaten out for the Golden Globe for New Star of the Year by her. She performed in WILL SUCCESS SPOIL ROCK HUNTER? in 1957, reprising her stage role. This movie, along with THE GIRL CAN'T HELP IT and Tony Randall, remains a favorite among Jayne aficionados. They were wildly successful and helped to solidify Jayne's reputation as the blonde comic relief. She wouldn't be able to get away.

When Jayne and Paul Mansfield got divorced in January 1958, she wed Mickey Hargitay, an actress, bodybuilder, and Mr. Universe winner. Jayne obtained a Mexican divorce in Juarez in May 1963 after their brief marriage of five years. In October 1963, the couple reconnected after the divorce was initially ruled illegal in California. Mansfield successfully petitioned to have the Juarez divorce recognized as legal following the birth of their third child. The actress claimed that Hargitay kidnapped one of her children during their bitter divorce battle in order to obtain a better financial settlement. Mariska, an actress best known for playing Detective Olivia Benson in "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," was one of the three children she had during this marriage, along with Miklós and Zoltán.

Jayne had just reached the pinnacle of her career. She came to terms with the fact that she was confined to the roles that people adored her for, and she began to look for exposure in whatever way she could, including through her attractiveness and her renowned breasts. She was able to expose them in staged "accidents' ' on numerous occasions, all with great success. She was introduced by "Tonight Show" presenter Jack Parr as "Here they are, Jayne Mansfield!" and in 1957, her breasts were used in an infamous publicity stunt to draw attention away from Sophia Loren during a luncheon in the Italian actress' honor. The incident was documented in photographs and published internationally. In one picture, Jayne, who was seated between Sophia Loren and Clifton Webb, was seen raising an eyebrow at Jayne as she leaned over the table, causing her breasts to protrude from her low-cut clothing and showing a nipple. When Mickey pulled her up during a Berlin film festival party so she could nibble into some low-hanging grapes, both of her breasts ``accidentally" slipped out of her dress. The image of the incident went viral and was published in publications around the world with the word CENSORED covering her exposed breasts. Tacky? Yes, but it was effective and kept Jayne in the film magazines.

But by 1959, Jayne had lost most of her opportunities for decent parts. Before deciding to slow down and try to revive her career, she worked on a lot of indie and international films, frequently in scanty clothing. It was already too late when she declared that she would be studying acting in New York in an effort to land more significant jobs. Her raunchy exposure had made her famous, but it also led to her demise. In 1962, Fox's employment was not extended.

Jayne, though, carried on with her task. She was the first well-known American actress to perform in the film PROMISES! PROMISES! in a naked state in 1963. Hugh Hefner was accused of using obscenity when Playboy magazine released nude images that were taken on the set. Despite being successful nationwide, the movie ultimately received a ban in Cleveland. She starred in more foreign films, but excellent roles became increasingly difficult to come by. Later in life, she made several depressing, low-budget movies, like THE LAS VEGAS HILLBILLYS and PANIC BUTTON. For a woman who deserved more, they were a disaster and an embarrassment.

Jayne was romantically associated with singer Nelson Sardelli following her divorce from Mickey Hargitay, but in 1964, she wed Matteo Ottaviano, a director of Italian descent. Their separation occurred in July 1966. Jayne was in a tough situation. She was supporting herself and her children through burlesque and dinner theater despite the fact that her career was in ruins.

She then took another move to resurrect her career in the latter half of 1966. It's unclear whether this was a sincere search for herself or just another infamous marketing trick. Whatever it was, Jayne enrolled in the Anton LaVey-founded Church of Satan. Friends claim Jayne was just inquisitive about the occult, but LaVey claims she had a genuine interest in researching it. She might have also done it for the publicity and attention, rather than any other reason. Recent news stories and magazine covers had featured the Church of Satan. LaVey had quickly acquired notoriety and cut a handsome figure. He was regarded as a terrific showman and promoter even by those who didn't like him. Other famous people, like Sammy Davis Jr., were pictured with the nation's foremost Satanist, and Jayne might have been trying to garner some free exposure for herself.

LaVey was enamored with Jayne and probably saw a connection with her as good publicity for himself. However, he had an instant dislike for Jayne's boyfriend and attorney, Sam Brody. The following weeks will pass. They fought again over the following few weeks, and according to the legend, LaVey cursed Brody, informing him that he would pass away within a year. Later, LaVey said that the "curse" was meant to shield Jayne from Brody, who had been harsh and aggressive toward her. He cautioned Jayne to avoid Brody out of concern that the curse would touch her.

Jayne ignored him, though. Jayne and Brody were engaged in two different car accidents shortly after. Jayne's son, Zoltan, was mauled by a reportedly friendly lion at Jungleland in Thousand Oaks, California, where they were meant to pose for press shots a month later. Her precious jewelry collection was stolen from her hotel room when she was visiting Japan. She was unjustly accused of missing out on her hotel bill, which led to her public humiliation and the cancellation of her concert in England. She was robbed in Las Vegas, accused of evading taxes in Venezuela, and attacked by a mob at Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, where she was stripped of all of her clothing.

On June 22, 1967, Brody's car was struck by another vehicle as he was traveling to pick up Jayne from a charity lunch. Brody was sent to the hospital with a broken leg and split ribs due to the severe damage to it. This did not, however, prevent Brody from joining Jayne a week later on a tour of southern dinner clubs, a choice that would prove catastrophic.

In late June, Jayne gave a performance at Gus Stevens Supper Club in Biloxi, Mississippi. She made the decision to drive to New Orleans after the event because she had a scheduled appearance on a television chat program for the morning of June 29. After midnight, they departed from the club. Brody, Ron Harrison, the club's 19-year-old driver, Miklos, Zoltan, and Mariska were with Jayne. Jayne climbed into the front seat alongside Brody and Harrison after loading the car with her trademark pink suitcase. Jayne sat next to the passenger door. As they commenced their westward journey on Route 90, the kids were sound asleep in the backseat. A light rain that had earlier fallen left the road glossy and slick. Harrison noticed a white cloud coming from a truck spraying mosquitoes on the roadway ahead of the car. After a while of slowly following the truck, he grew agitated and sped up, turning around and driving into the fog. Now, it was 2:25 a.m.

Harrison was unable to see clearly, so until the front of his Buick smashed beneath the slow-moving trailer truck, he was unaware that it was in front of the mosquito sprayer. The car's roof was ripped off, and the metal began to roll backwards like an opened can. Sam Brody and Harrison both perished instantly after being ejected from the automobile. Although the children, who were laying down in the rear, were hurt, they survived the collision.

The two men's bodies were lying on the pavement when the truck driver, who was unharmed, leapt out of the cab. Looking back through the Buick's window, he noticed a woman's battered body covered in bloody attire. Legend has it that Jayne was severed from her body in the collision, but police investigators who inspected the area later found out that what the truck driver believed to be her severed head was actually one of Jayne's blond, curly hair. Then bloodied wigs came.

Fans all throughout the nation were shocked by the death news. A few were quick to profit from it. Jayne was "a victim of her own frivolity," declared Anton LaVey. She disregarded his warnings about the curse after receiving them. A number of amber-colored bulbs suddenly flared up without warning during a memorial service held in her honor at the Church of Satan, according to 30 witnesses. Despite this, none of the bulbs shattered. Jayne "wanted to let us know she was still with us," according to LaVey, who claimed that's why it happened.

Strange events were reported by those who were related to Jayne. Miklos, who was hurt in the accident that claimed his mother's life, frequently spoke to Linda Mudrick, Jayne's personal maid for many years. when she knew he was alone in his room, she was conversing with someone. He claimed to have spoken to his mother, and Mudrick thought Jayne was somehow interacting with the youngster from beyond.

Strange events happened near Jayne's previous Beverly Hills house, the "Pink Palace." The 40-room, Mediterranean-style estate she purchased in November 1957 was originally owned by singer Rudy Vallee. The house was painted pink by Jayne, and it had pink furs in the bathrooms, a pink heart-shaped bathtub, pink neon lights around the cupids, and a pink champagne-spouting fountain. She had a heart-shaped pool constructed for her by Mickey Hargitay. A short while after Jayne's passing, Mickey got in a serious collision right outside the Pink Palace's gates. Jayne's third husband, Matteo Ottaviano, experienced numerous problems. His best buddy was murdered, his nightclub was shut down by the law, and his father suffered a heart attack. A frequent visitor to the Pink Palace and Jayne's road manager, Victor Huston, passed away suddenly. Also hurt in a tragic vehicle accident was Linda Mudrick. It deteriorated. One afternoon at the Pink Palace, a young girl leaned back while Miklos, Jayne's son, and a friend were playing in a toy electric car. Somehow, her long black hair became tangled. a wheel. The roots had ripped out every hair on the back of her head. Had Jayne Mansfield actually been under a curse that was still active today?

Some people thought the Pink Palace was haunted. Numerous items of furniture were destroyed by bursting water pipes, and it is claimed that plumbers who were sent to fix the damage were scared away by moving things. One painter claimed that when he was working in Jayne's old room, he sensed someone observing him and touched him on the shoulder numerous times. It was frequently claimed that there were eerie moaning noises, and the staff left. New ones were employed, although they frequently fled the house after only a few days. Even Jayne's longtime friend Linda Mudrick finally said, "I never want to go in that house again, " I declared as I left.

Many started to think that Jayne was still alive and furious about the legal disputes surrounding her estate. They claimed that her ghost wished for her children to inherit their mother's estate. Unfortunately, Jayne's third husband Ottaviano and his lawyer ransacked the Pink Palace. After keeping Jayne's parents and children out, they sold the property.

A bank boss and his family were the initial residents of the home. The banker's kid discovered a pink Honda that the late actor Nick Adams had given to Jayne during a brief relationship soon after they had moved in. After firing it up and driving it around the estate, the boy made the decision to take it out on the open road. He was killed when he was hit by an approaching car as he was speeding out of the gates and into Sunset Boulevard. The banker supposedly left that day with his family.

Later, the Mamas & the Papas vocalist Cass Elliot purchased the property and moved in with her husband. She left her spouse behind to supervise the mansion's remodeling while she traveled to London to record some television ads. She was away when Cass passed away.

The temptation to bleach her hair blonde and to dress in Jayne's old clothes that she had discovered in storage were among the bizarre events that another resident of the residence also claimed to encounter. Concerned friends questioned her after she underwent breast augmentation surgery, but she was unable to explain her peculiar conduct. She developed an obsession with Jayne Mansfield and started shelling out thousands of dollars to acquire whatever memorabilia of the actress she could locate. Nevertheless, she didn't linger in the house for very long. She reported hearing a woman's voice one night pleading with her to "go away." Because she was aware of what had happened to the two prior tenants, she packed up her stuff and left the Pink Palace.

Beatle Ringo Starr, who had admired Jayne when she was alive and had been a close friend of hers, moved into the home after him. Ringo had the pink mansion's facade painted white, despite the fact that he only briefly resided there and mainly utilized it for parties. However, the home soon started to turn pink once more. Pink is a difficult color to conceal, some claimed, but others insisted that Jayne was announcing her presence. The home was painted once more using a sealant and two coats of paint, but much to the consternation of paint experts and chemists, it turned pink once more.

However, the home was eventually repainted successfully, and it stayed white until it was demolished.

In 1977, the mansion was purchased by musician Englebert Humperdinck, who had earlier been romantically involved with Jayne. In 1980, he released a statement regarding the haunting and had the house consecrated by a priest before moving in. While he no longer held the notion that the house was haunted, he did acknowledge that it had occasionally been disturbing. The shape of a heart, Jayne's favorite pattern, had once settled into a part of the yard following an earthquake, he found. The heart was found to be a filled-in wading pool that Jayne had created for the kids, despite the fact that at first he thought Jayne might have come back after all. He probably let out a sigh of relief.

The home was sold to developers by Humperdinck in 2002, and in November of the same year, it was destroyed. Since then, there have been no more accounts of Jayne's ghost, and it appears that the haunting has vanished along with many other memories of the vibrant actress.