Mariska Hargitay Channels Mom Jayne Mansfield at Emmys 2025

Like mother, like daughter.

Mariska Hargitay, much like her mother Jayne Mansfield, truly shone with classic Hollywood glamour.

Mariska Hargitay, known for her role on *Law & Order: SVU*, turned heads at the 2025 Emmy Awards on September 14th. She wore a stunning, strapless red velvet gown with detailed pleating. Diamond earrings and bouncy curls completed her look. (Check out more red carpet looks here.)

Mariska looked stunning in her red dress, a clear nod to Jayne Mansfield’s iconic look in the 1956 film *The Girl Can’t Help It*.

The 61-year-old has experienced a deeply personal journey, reconnecting with her late mother while creating her documentary, *My Mom Jayne*.

She believes it would be a special moment for her film, *TopMob News*, to finally be seen, perhaps for the very first time, as she mentioned in June.

Mariska, a mother to August (18), Amaya (14), and Andrew (13) with her husband Peter Hermann, found it challenging but ultimately rewarding to share her family’s story and what she felt was the honest truth.

She said emphatically, “I truly believe that.” It feels incredibly liberating, and I’m deeply touched when people share their real selves and open up to me. Everyone carries their own history, and we all come from complex families.”

Mariska was only three years old when her mother, Jayne, tragically died in a car accident. Because of this, Mariska knew her mom only through the stories others told, and those stories included both good and bad memories.

She told NPR in July that people always talked about how intelligent, determined, and hilariously funny her mother was.

As Jayne became famous as a Hollywood sex symbol, Mariska struggled with conflicting feelings while growing up. She explained that the public image she saw – and the photos that came with it – didn’t match the stories she’d been told about her mother, which was very confusing.

But over the years, and with the help of her film, she saw the real Jayne.

She thought about how she connected with the woman by noticing small, personal moments – a fleeting expression or a private thought. Those glimpses felt like truly understanding her, like finally seeing the real person underneath.

For more stars at the 2025 Emmys red carpet, keep reading.