Mariska Hargitay paid homage to her mom, Jayne Mansfield, in the most stylish way.
Hargitay, 61, made an appearance on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert on Monday, June 16, wearing a decorative suit that honored her late mother, who died at age 34 in 1967. As soon as Hargitay sat down during the episode, Colbert, 61, complimented her outfit.
“I like the little bobbles there, they’re very nice,” the host said to the actress, pointing at the silver beads on her blazer and jacket.
“It’s a little homage,” Hargitay explained, noting that her mom wore a “dress just like this at the Cannes Film Festival” in 1958.
Hargitay went on to share what inspired her to make the documentary My Mom Jayne, noting that she was “ready” to delve into her mom’s legacy.
“In a way, I feel like I’ve been preparing my entire life to make it,” she said, explaining her process. “During COVID, we all had some downtime and I found these boxes of fan letters that were all pertaining to my mom.”
Mansfield was an actress and sex symbol in the 1950s and early 1960s. She died in a car crash in New Orleans when Hargitay — who was also in the vehicle — was just 3 years old.
This isn’t the first time the Law & Order: SVU star channeled her mom. Last month, she told Deadline at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival that she was having a “full circle” moment by attending the same event her mom once did.
“The photos of her, in Cannes in particular, were always so meaningful to me because of how free and happy and in love she was with my father,” Hargitay said, gushing that the pics “seared this emotional place” in her heart.
“To be here, to bring her back here, and to tell her story was quite meaningful,” she continued.
My Mom Jayne hits HBO on June 27.
