Blood Tangent | Sarai Nissan

I’ve been pondering “higher-powers” a lot lately. I was raised lightly Jewish—by lightly I mean my Israeli parents didn’t care to take us to synagogue, really ever—but I have indeed dabbled in witchcraft which brings me to Satanism! No, I am not a Satanist, but Jayne Mansfield certainly wasn’t also.

During a time when Satan was hot and Anton Lavey was brushing shoulders with Hollywood A-listers, Mansfield was dubbed a “celebrity satanist” and the “punk Marilyn Monroe” due to her association with the darker side of things. And this was in the 1960s, long before the Kim Kardashians and Paris Hiltons of the world monopolized on their sex appeal, albeit without the occult twist—which frankly is unfortunate.

Jayne died in a gruesome car crash at the age of 34. Her boyfriend Sam Brody, their driver, and chihuahua were also fatal casualties. She left behind five children, a depleted estate, her Pink Palace (and that is not a euphemism, literally her mansion was entirely pink), a significant amount of followers and fans, and a little-known legacy but a lasting impact on popular culture.

She carefully curated her public persona; she dyed her brunette hair white-blonde, talked with a “baby voice” (Paris took notes), and exploited her own bombshell physique that contended with her rivals Marilyn Monroe and Mamie Van Doren.

Mansfield was perhaps best known for her relationship with the Church of Satan founder, Anton Lavey. The friendship (if you could call it that) was primarily a publicity stunt, although Lavey was stalker-ishly smitten with the actress. Mansfield had society (and the head of the Church of Satan) wrapped around her beautifully manicured finger, which makes her so difficult not to adore. Doubly so for completely manipulating the leader of Satanists himself; which may have come back to bitten her in the ass considering Lavey was said to have cast a hex on Brody, stating he would die in a car crash; and we all know what happened there.

But as Jayne herself is often quoted: “If you’re going to do something bad, do it big, because the punishment is the same either way.”