Jayne Mansfield and Anton LaVey: Hollywood’s Glitz Meets the Occult in a Story of Glamour, Drama, and Dark Rumours
The unlikely meeting between Jayne Mansfield and Anton LaVey—the blonde bombshell of Hollywood and the shaven-headed founder of the Church of Satan—captured a unique cultural moment. This was the 1960s, an era when the public was deeply fascinated by all things countercultural. At first glance, they seemed worlds apart: Mansfield, the glitzy Hollywood star who once rivalled Marilyn Monroe in fame, and LaVey, a mysterious figure dressed in black, often described as a “modern-day Mephistopheles.” Their connection, laden with intrigue, scandal, and speculation, intertwined Hollywood with the darker fringes of spirituality, and the media couldn’t get enough of it.
Their first meeting occurred in 1966, when Mansfield, in San Francisco for the city’s Film Festival, paid a visit to LaVey at the Church of Satan headquarters. LaVey awarded her a medallion and dubbed her the “High Priestess of San Francisco’s Church of Satan,” a title the media quickly picked up on. It wasn’t long before Mansfield was publicly linked with Satanism, as the press speculated on her apparent involvement with LaVey’s organisation, adding an edgy twist to her image. LaVey, who recognised the value of such a high-profile connection, fed into the sensationalism, while Mansfield embraced the attention, always looking to keep her name in the spotlight.
A Tragic Twist: Zoltan’s Accident and LaVey’s “Satanic Prayer”
Just one month after this initial meeting, tragedy struck. Mansfield had taken her six-year-old son, Zoltan, to Jungleland USA, a wildlife attraction near Los Angeles, where the young boy was attacked by a lion. Zoltan’s injuries were severe, requiring three surgeries to repair the damage, leaving Mansfield distressed and anxious for her son’s recovery. In a curious twist, LaVey performed what he called a “Satanic prayer” for Zoltan’s recovery, driving to the top of Mount Tamalpais near San Francisco to carry out the ritual. According to Mansfield, Zoltan’s condition seemed to improve rapidly following LaVey’s prayer, a development she held as nothing short of miraculous.
Just days after the attack, Mansfield spoke with the Associated Press, sharing a hopeful update on her son’s spirits: “[Zoltan] asked me for a snake and a kangaroo rat today, and his eyes lit up when I promised to get them.” The statement reflected her relief that her son’s spirits were lifting as he recovered. Whether one saw LaVey’s prayer as a meaningful gesture or a bizarre publicity stunt, it undeniably deepened the strange link between Mansfield and the Church of Satan.
The Brody-LaVey Rivalry: Curses and Consequences
The relationship between LaVey and Mansfield also brought tension to her romantic life. Sam Brody, Mansfield’s lawyer and partner, resented her growing closeness to LaVey, and the rivalry between Brody and LaVey soon reached a breaking point. According to some accounts, Brody dismissed LaVey as a “charlatan,” provoking LaVey to put what he claimed was a “curse” on Brody. LaVey, known for his flair for drama, reportedly declared,
“My power exceeds anything you can imagine, and now you’re going to feel it. You will be dead in a year. Sam Brody, I pronounce that you will be dead within one year.”
For LaVey, this curse was more than just words—it was a public statement meant to enhance his image as a man not to be crossed. While Mansfield seemed captivated by the dark mystery surrounding LaVey, Brody’s antagonism only fuelled her curiosity. Their story soon evolved into one of jealousy, fascination, and an ever-tightening triangle of intrigue.
The Hollywood Life: Photo Shoots, Dinner Dates, and a German Paparazzo
Amidst the rumours, Mansfield and LaVey’s relationship became a media spectacle. The two dined together at La Scala in Beverly Hills, with LaVey dressed in a resplendent cape, making a theatrical impression. They met for a photo shoot at Mansfield’s iconic Pink Palace on Sunset Boulevard, where paparazzi documented the odd couple lounging by her heart-shaped pool, posing with her exotic pets—including her ocelot and Chihuahuas—and even performing on a taxidermied tiger-skin rug.
One photographer, a German named Walter Fischer, found his way into Mansfield and LaVey’s inner circle. As Fischer built a rapport with the pair, he secured intimate access to their lives and kept the media hungry for more shots and stories. “Fischer was smart enough to realise this is how you do it: you do it the Slim Aarons way. You strike up acquaintances, you make friendships. Because then you’re welcomed back,” said a colleague, Abrahamsson, about Fischer’s method. Through this access, Fischer captured moments that defined the Mansfield-LaVey connection, blending glamour with darkness in a series of unforgettable images.
Conflicting Statements: A Catholic, a Satanist, and a Confusing Public Persona
Despite the provocative association with LaVey, Mansfield’s own words at times suggested a different story. In one of Fischer’s press releases, LaVey boasted, “She thinks it’s the greatest thing going. She is taking instructions. I made her a priestess and told her the concept of hell and paradise. I give her the usual information: working on ritual and how to cast (spells). She likes to know about witches and love charms. She considers me a High Priest.” LaVey’s description made it seem as though Mansfield was a full-fledged member of his “black circle.”
But in the same release, Mansfield herself offered a somewhat contradictory view: “It is very interesting. I know the real basis of his church. I think he is a genius and I regard him as an interesting person. I am a Catholic and would not believe in his church. I am not a member of the black circle.” Her words implied a more distanced, intellectual curiosity rather than a wholehearted embrace of LaVeyan Satanism, leaving fans and the media to wonder what the true nature of their connection was.
A Tragic End: Mansfield’s Death and LaVey’s Final Ritual
Tragically, the story of Mansfield and LaVey would soon come to a dramatic end. On June 29, 1967, just one year after LaVey’s curse, Mansfield was killed in a car accident while travelling from Biloxi, Mississippi, to New Orleans. Alongside her in the car were Brody, her driver Ronnie Harrison, and three of her children—Zoltan, Miklos, and Mariska. Harrison lost control of the Buick, crashing into the rear of a tractor-trailer. Mansfield, Brody, and Harrison were killed instantly, though the children survived. A rumour circulated that Mansfield had been decapitated, fuelled by images showing her blonde hair through the windshield. In truth, the blonde hair was simply her wig, not a result of the fatal injuries.
After her death, LaVey held a Satanic memorial service for Mansfield at his Black House in San Francisco. The service was both a tribute and a statement, commemorating their strange, fleeting connection. For LaVey, Mansfield’s tragic end provided a sombre but fitting close to their association, reinforcing the idea of his curse as a final act of dark power.
The Mansfield-LaVey Legacy: A Tale of Glamour, Mystery, and Intrigue
The relationship between Jayne Mansfield and Anton LaVey continues to captivate people even decades later. Whether viewed as a genuine friendship, a mutual publicity stunt, or something more, their meeting blended Hollywood’s sparkle with the mysterious aura of LaVey’s philosophy, solidifying Mansfield’s status as a daring Hollywood rebel unafraid to explore the unconventional. For LaVey, the association with Mansfield brought his Church of Satan into the public eye in a way that no other endorsement could, linking him to the glamour and allure of Hollywood.
Their connection, though brief, has left a lasting impact on pop culture, marking a time when Hollywood flirted with the dark arts and mainstream America was willing to be seduced by the mysterious. Through countless articles, biographies, and films, the Mansfield-LaVey story endures as a reminder of a time when fame, mystique, and rebellion were at the forefront of popular culture. For those who continue to explore their story, Mansfield and LaVey remain symbols of a uniquely 1960s moment when Hollywood glamour met the occult, creating a legacy that’s just as fascinating today as it was back then.
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