Since 1953 Playboy magazine's Playmates have enticed readers as they flaunt their tantalizing bodies all over its pages. But behind the glitzy and erotic displays lies some strange mysteries, crimes, and drama. As proof of it, one of Playboy's most famous models, Dorothy Stratten, at age 20, was the victim of a murder-suicide. Sadly, her name was added to the long list of Playmates who died tragically at a young age. This phenomenon it's become known as the Playboy curse. Another curse victim was Jayne Mansfield, a platinum-haired star who died in a much-publicized car accident.
Mansfield certainly left her mark on Hollywood before being taken away from the world far too soon. The actress knew she was destined for stardom since she was just a little girl and was willing to do whatever it took to make it in the cutthroat entertainment industry. It didn't take her long to figure out that sex sells, and the bombshell started showing off her stunning figure to make a name for herself, and it worked. Mansfield quickly turned herself into a sex symbol, and people failed to see her as anything else. Here is why being a Playboy Playmate may have destroyed Jayne Mansfield's life.
Who Was Jayne Mansfield?
Jayne Mansfield was brilliant and had raw talent, but her skimpy outfits and tabloid stories overshadowed that. After three husbands and five children, the actress remained a gorgeous sex symbol. Her nip slip-ups always happened at the perfect time for cameras to snap pictures. The most infamous instance took place in 1955 when Mansfield went to a pool party wearing a very revealing red bikini. As soon as she jumped into the pool, her top predictably fell off. The clever Jayne Mansfield was the definition of wardrobe malfunction.
In the 1950s, the actress was groomed by 20th Century Fox to be their answer to Marilyn Monroe. After starring in the Broadway hit Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? Mansfield was named one of the most promising new talents at the 1957 Golden Globe Awards for her performance in the film The Girl Can't Help It.
Did Jayne Mansfield Try To Copy Marilyn Monroe?
With the nickname the Cleavage Queen, it doesn't come as a surprise that Jayne was the first starlet to be featured nude in a big American sound film. Promises! Promises! came out in 1963 and showed the actress in her birthday suit. The picture was banned in certain cities in the US. Mansfield's career was notoriously fueled by a rivalry with a fellow bombshell, the iconic Marilyn Monroe, who became famous for her Playboy appearance. Both starlets were often typecast as ditzy blondes with voluptuous bodies. However, this wasn't true. Jayne was very smart, and Marilyn Monroe was brilliant with a high IQ. Fox Studios tried to get Monroe to come back and finish her contract by calling Jayne Mansfield a "Marilyn Monroe king-sized."
However, Mansfield didn't have it easy in Hollywood despite her fame and recognition. She often struggled to break into the business and landing roles. The reason was simply that she was seen as too sexy for some viewers.
The star loved to push the limits of decency, making great use of her voluptuous figure. She was not only a rabidly famous actress but also one of the most vibrant and visible sex symbols of her age until it all ended one night in the most shocking tragedy Hollywood has ever seen.
How Old Was Jane Mansfield When She Died?
In the early hours of June 29, 1967, she suffered the last tragedy of her short life. Jane Mansfield, her boyfriend Sam Brody, a hired driver, and three of her children, Miklós, Zoltán, and Mariska, were headed towards New Orleans, Louisiana. At 2:25 am, they got into a terrible accident.
Their Buick crashed into the back of a tractor-trailer and instantly killed all three adults in the front seat. Luckily, the kids in the back had some minor injuries and a lot of trauma but survived. Mansfield was just 34 years old. Sadly, the actress became one of the former Playboy Playmates, specifically the ones featured in the iconic centerfold, who have come to a tragic end.
The Dark Side Of Playboy
Many models have been deeply traumatized by their experiences with Playboy. On top of that, the deaths of the women who have posed for Playboy have been gruesome premature, and shrouded in mystery.
These deaths have spanned nearly six decades, from 1962 until the most recent in 2020. There have been no less than 20 Playboy Playmates that have died before the age of 50. Though this is indeed a curse, it's not limited to centerfolds. This information may not sound all that strange or alarming, but it works out to approximately 2.85% of the women who have graced the centerfold spread of the magazine.
If 0.7% of people born in the US tend to die between the ages of 20 and 50, Playboy's rates are significantly higher than the national average. More alarmingly, most of these deaths occurred similarly: Their lives were prematurely ended by tragic accidents or murders. Was it just sheer coincidence, or had a curse befallen them? The truth is that many think that the infamous Playboy curse is the main reason behind these deaths.
