St. Louis Style
By Ted Wright
February 14, 2018
Jayne didn’t listen to Anton LaVey and his curse and soon after Sam Brody and Jayne were involved in two separate automobile accidents. Months later, Jayne’s son Zolton was mauled by a supposedly tame lion at Jungleland in Thousand Oaks, California. A collection of her prized jewelry was stolen from her hotel room while in Japan. On a trip to England, she was publicly humiliated, and her show was canceled after she was falsely accused of skipping out on her hotel bill. She was charged with income tax evasion in Venezuela, robbed in Las Vegas, and attacked by a mob at a Carnival in Rio de Janeiro.
On June 22, 1967, Brody was on his way to pick up Jayne from a charity lunch when his vehicle was struck by a car, breaking his leg and ribs. Brody’s injuries did not stop him from going on tour with Jayne to Gus Steven’s Supper Club in Biloxi, Mississippi. After the show, they decided to drive to New Orleans where she would appear on a television talk show on the morning of June 29. They left the club after midnight with their 19-year-old driver, Ron Harrison, and their three kids.
On their way to New Orleans, Harrison spotted a white
cloud that was coming from a mosquito-spraying truck ahead of them on the
highway. Unable to see clearly, Harrison accelerated and drove around the truck
into the fog. Harrison had no idea that a slow-moving trailer truck was ahead
of the mosquito sprayer until the front of his Buick slammed under it. The roof
of the car was sheared off, killing Sam Brody, Harrison, and Jayne instantly
and leaving the children injured but alive.
The news stunned fans and Anton LaVey announced that Jayne was “a victim of her own frivolity.” He had warned her about the curse, and she ignored it.
Many connected to Jayne reported strange happenings after her death. Linda Mudrick, Jayne’s personal maid for many years, often heard her son Miklos talking to someone when she knew he was alone in his room. When asked, he told her that he had been talking to his mother.
The weird happenings did not stop there and numerous occurred around her famous 40-room, Mediterranean-style mansion in Beverly Hills known as the “Pink Palace.”
Soon after Jayne’s death, Mickey was involved in a bad accident driving out of the gates of the Pink Palace. Matteo Ottaviano, Jayne’s third husband, also experienced turmoil. His father had a heart attack, legal problems closed his nightclub and his best friend was killed. Jayne’s road manager, Victor Huston died suddenly. Linda Mudrick (the maid) was involved in a terrible car accident. Jayne’s son, Miklos and a friend were playing in a toy electric car one afternoon at the Pink Palace, the little girl’s long black hair somehow became entangled around the axle and was yanked from her head by the roots.
Many believed that Jayne was still around and angry over the fighting that was going on over her estate. Her spirit haunted the Pink Palace and wanted to ensure that her children received their inheritance.
A bank president and his family were the first occupants of the house after Jayne’s death. The banker’s son found a pink Honda that late actor, Nick Adams, had given Jayne during a brief affair. The boy took it for a spin around the estate and then decided to try it out on the road. He was struck and killed by an oncoming car just as he was leaving the gates. Allegedly, the banker and his family moved out the same day.
Singer Cass Elliot of the Mamas & the Papas later bought the house. Cass left her husband to oversee the redecorating while she went off to record some television commercials in London. Cass’s death occurred while she was away.
The next occupant of the house experienced strange phenomena as well. She began to feel the urge to dye her hair blonde, dress in Jayne’s clothing that she had found in storage and even consulted a plastic surgeon about breast enlargement. When questioned by her concerned friends, she could give no explanation for her strange behavior. One night she claimed to hear a woman’s voice begging her to “get out.” The woman packed up her belongings and fled the Pink Palace.
Beatle Ringo Starr, a former friend of Jayne’s (seen below) was the next to occupy the mansion. Ringo had the exterior of the house painted white, however, it began turning pink again soon after. The house was repainted again using a sealer and two coats of paint but turned pink once more. Finally, the house was repainted a third time and remained white until it was torn down.
Singer Englebert Humperdinck, who had once been
romantically involved with Jayne purchased the house in 1977. Upon moving in he
had the house blessed by a Catholic priest and stated that he did not believe
the house was haunted any longer. He sold the Pink Palace to developers in 2002
where it was demolished later that year. Since then, there have been no further
reports of Jayne’s ghost.
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