American film, theater, and television actress. She was also a nightclub entertainer, a singer, and one of the early Playboy Playmates. She was a major Hollywood sex symbol during the 1950s and early 1960s, while under contract at 20th Century Fox. She was also known for her well-publicized personal life and publicity stunts, such as wardrobe malfunctions. Although Mansfield’s film career was short-lived, she had several box-office successes and won a Theatre World Award and a Golden Globe. She enjoyed success in the role of fictional actress Rita Marlowe, both in the 1955–1956 Broadway version and the 1957 Hollywood film version of Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?
She married three times, first to Paul Mansfield; they had one daughter together, divorced. She next married Mickey Hargitay; they had three kids, divorced. Her third and final marriage was to Matt Cimber; she had her fifth child with him in 1965.
Mansfield died in a car accident on the highway leading into New Orleans on 6/29/1967. She was traveling with three of her kids, Maria, Miklos and Zoltan, her attorney and a chauffeur when the car rammed into a truck-trailer rig. The force of the impact sheared off the top of the car, killing Mansfield and the two men. All three kids survived but were injured with abrasions and contusions. As she left no will, her estate, valued at $513,000 was diminished by debts and contests to where her kids received nothing.
Link to Wikipedia biography