Paul Mansfield: The Life and Family Story of Jayne Mansfield’s First Husband

paul mansfield

Paul Mansfield is a name that often appears alongside one of the most recognizable Hollywood stars of the 1950s, Jayne Mansfield. Yet, unlike his famous former wife, Paul Mansfield lived much of his life away from the spotlight. His story is therefore less about celebrity and more about family, marriage, and the private life connected to a remarkable period in Hollywood history. Born Paul James Mansfield on November 28, 1929, in Galveston, Texas, he later became Jayne Mansfield’s first husband and the father of her first child, Jayne Marie Mansfield. He was also married to Mary Sue Greer for many years after his relationship with Jayne ended. According to IMDb, Paul Mansfield died on June 8, 2013, in San Angelo, Texas, at the age of 83.

Quick Bio Information

Fact Details
Full Name Paul James Mansfield
Known As Paul Mansfield
Born November 28, 1929
Birthplace Galveston, Texas, USA
Died June 8, 2013
Place Of Death San Angelo, Texas, USA
Age At Death 83
First Wife Jayne Mansfield
Second Wife Mary Sue Greer
Marriage To Jayne January 28, 1950
Daughter With Jayne Jayne Marie Mansfield
Marriage To Mary Sue Greer June 1, 1957, until his death
Mother Virginia Ruth Pigue
Father Norman William Mansfield
Sibling Martha Virginia Mansfield
Sibling Norma Ruth Mansfield
Connection To Hollywood Jayne Mansfield’s first husband
Public Appearances Appeared as himself in several documentary and television productions
IMDb Status Listed as a 1929–2013 personality

The core biographical details in this table come primarily from IMDb’s Paul Mansfield biography and profile.

Who Was Paul Mansfield?

Paul Mansfield was an American whose public biography is closely connected to his family relationships. His birth name was Paul James Mansfield, and the available biographical record identifies him as the husband of both Jayne Mansfield and Mary Sue Greer. He became particularly notable because of his early marriage to Jayne, who went on to become a major Hollywood actress, pin-up figure, and Broadway performer. Their relationship began before Jayne reached national fame, meaning Paul was part of her life during an important period when she was still developing her ambitions as a performer. IMDb also lists Paul as appearing as himself in several television documentaries and programs connected with Jayne Mansfield, including Biography, Living Famously, Blond in Hollywood, and Arena.

Paul Mansfield’s Early Life

Paul Mansfield was born on November 28, 1929, in Galveston, Texas. Public sources provide relatively little information about his childhood, education, professional career, or personal interests before his marriage to Jayne Mansfield. That lack of documentation is important because it prevents a responsible biography from filling the gaps with assumptions. What is established is that Paul was five years older than Jayne Mansfield and entered her life while she was still a teenager. Biography.com reports that Jayne met Paul at a Christmas party when she was 16 and that the two quickly developed a relationship. They married in January 1950, shortly before Jayne graduated from Highland Park High School.

Paul Mansfield’s Parents and Family

Paul Mansfield’s family background is another part of his biography that is documented only briefly. IMDb identifies his parents as Virginia Ruth Pigue and Norman William Mansfield. It also lists Martha Virginia Mansfield and Norma Ruth Mansfield as his siblings. These details are useful because they establish Paul’s immediate family background, but there is not enough reliable public material to build an extensive account of his parents’ occupations, childhood home, education, or family circumstances. A careful Paul Mansfield biography should therefore keep these details factual and avoid adding unsupported stories. His later connection to the Mansfield name became much more publicly significant because of his marriage to Jayne, but the name itself was already part of his family identity before their relationship.

Paul Mansfield and Jayne Mansfield’s Relationship

Paul Mansfield and Jayne Mansfield began their relationship when Jayne was still very young and before she became the glamorous Hollywood personality remembered today. Biography.com says Jayne met Paul at a Christmas party when she was 16 and fell for him. Their marriage took place in January 1950, when Jayne was still in high school. This was an important period in her life because she was already interested in performing and would later continue her education in drama. Their relationship therefore overlapped with the earliest stage of the career ambitions that eventually took Jayne to Hollywood.

Paul Mansfield and Jayne Mansfield’s Marriage

Paul and Jayne Mansfield married on January 28, 1950, according to IMDb’s biography of Paul Mansfield. The marriage came before Jayne became a household name, and she continued using the Mansfield surname even after their relationship ended. Biography.com notes that Jayne gave birth to their daughter, Jayne Marie Mansfield, in November 1950. Their marriage was therefore not simply a short romantic chapter; it produced the first child in Jayne’s family and placed Paul at the center of her personal life during her transition from a Texas teenager to an aspiring performer.

Jayne Marie Mansfield and Paul’s First Family

Jayne Marie Mansfield was the only child born from Paul Mansfield’s marriage to Jayne Mansfield. She was born in November 1950 and became an important part of the Mansfield family story. Her existence also connects two very different sides of Paul’s biography: his relatively private life and Jayne Mansfield’s increasingly public career. Jayne Marie was born before her mother achieved major Hollywood fame, making her part of the family from the very beginning of Jayne’s rise. Paul’s identity as Jayne Marie’s father remains one of the clearest and most important parts of his public biography.

Why Did Paul Mansfield and Jayne Mansfield Divorce?

Paul and Jayne eventually separated as their lives moved in different directions. Biography.com reports that they separated in 1955 and that their divorce was finalized in 1958. IMDb’s Paul Mansfield biography records the marriage as running from January 28, 1950, to March 15, 1957, while another IMDb biography entry for Jayne gives January 8, 1958, as the end date. Because the records differ, it is safer to say that the couple separated in the mid-1950s and that their divorce was finalized around 1957–1958 rather than treating one conflicting date as unquestionably definitive. What is clear is that the marriage ended before Jayne entered her second marriage to Mickey Hargitay.

Paul Mansfield’s Life After Jayne Mansfield

Paul Mansfield’s life did not end with his divorce from Jayne. On June 1, 1957, he married Mary Sue Greer, according to IMDb. The marriage lasted until Paul’s death in 2013, making it by far the longer of his two documented marriages. IMDb lists four children associated with his marriage to Mary Sue Greer, although the supplied family record specifically names Jayne Marie Mansfield separately as his child from his marriage to Jayne. This later family life is an important reminder that Paul Mansfield’s biography should not be reduced entirely to his connection with Jayne Mansfield. He spent decades living beyond that first marriage and building another family life.

Paul Mansfield and Mary Sue Greer

Mary Sue Greer became Paul Mansfield’s second wife shortly after the end of his first marriage. IMDb records their marriage as beginning June 1, 1957, and continuing until June 8, 2013, the day Paul died. Unlike his relationship with Jayne Mansfield, this marriage lasted for more than five decades. That longevity gives Mary Sue Greer a significant place in the Paul Mansfield family story, even though considerably less public information is available about their private life. For readers researching Paul Mansfield, this second marriage is essential because it represents the largest portion of his adult family life.

Paul Mansfield’s Life Away From Hollywood

One of the most interesting aspects of Paul Mansfield’s story is how little of his adult life was publicly documented compared with Jayne Mansfield’s. Jayne became a major celebrity through films, Broadway, television appearances, publicity campaigns, and nightclub performances. Paul, by contrast, remained largely outside that celebrity machine. IMDb does show that he appeared as himself in several programs and documentaries connected with Jayne Mansfield, suggesting that his firsthand connection to her story occasionally brought him before cameras. Still, those appearances do not make him a conventional Hollywood celebrity. His public identity remained primarily that of a husband, father, and family member connected to an exceptionally famous actress.

Paul Mansfield’s Connection to Hollywood History

Paul Mansfield’s historical importance comes largely through the period he shared with Jayne Mansfield. Jayne became one of the best-known sex symbols of the 1950s and later established herself in film and on Broadway. Her career included Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?, The Girl Can’t Help It, The Wayward Bus, and other productions. Paul was married to her before that fame fully developed. Biography.com explains that Jayne continued her education, studied drama, performed locally, and eventually moved to Los Angeles with Paul after he returned from the Korean War. Their relationship therefore intersected with the formative years of her career, making Paul a meaningful figure in the background of her early story.

Paul Mansfield’s Later Years

After his marriage to Jayne ended, Paul largely disappeared from the center of public attention. His later years appear to have been centered more on family than celebrity. His long marriage to Mary Sue Greer continued for decades, and IMDb records that relationship as lasting until his death. There is limited reliable public information about his later career, residence, hobbies, or day-to-day activities. That absence should not be interpreted as evidence that his later life was uneventful; rather, it reflects how little private information about him entered the public record. In many ways, Paul Mansfield represents the less visible side of Hollywood history—the people whose lives intersected with famous figures without becoming famous themselves.

Paul Mansfield’s Death in 2013

Paul Mansfield died on June 8, 2013, in San Angelo, Texas. IMDb gives his age at death as 83. His death came more than four decades after Jayne Mansfield died in a car accident in 1967 and long after the Hollywood era that had made her famous. By that point, Paul had lived many years beyond his marriage to Jayne and had spent decades married to Mary Sue Greer. His death marked the end of a life that began in Texas in 1929 and became connected to American entertainment history through one of Hollywood’s most recognizable personalities.

Paul Mansfield’s Family Legacy

Paul Mansfield’s family legacy is perhaps more significant than any professional achievement associated with his name. He was the father of Jayne Marie Mansfield, Jayne Mansfield’s first child, and he remained connected to the wider Mansfield family story long after his divorce from Jayne. His former wife went on to marry Mickey Hargitay and Matt Cimber and had additional children, including actress Mariska Hargitay. Jayne’s career and tragic death have kept her family history in public discussion for decades, which in turn has preserved interest in Paul Mansfield. IMDb also lists him in archival footage for later productions about Jayne, including Mansfield 66/67 and My Mom Jayne.

Paul Mansfield Timeline

Paul Mansfield’s life can be understood through a handful of important dates. He was born in Galveston, Texas, in 1929. He married Jayne Mansfield in January 1950, and their daughter Jayne Marie was born later that year. The couple separated in 1955, with their divorce finalized according to sources in either 1957 or 1958. Paul married Mary Sue Greer on June 1, 1957, and remained married to her until his death. He died in San Angelo, Texas, on June 8, 2013. This timeline shows how the most public chapter of his life occupied only a relatively small portion of his 83 years.

Final Thoughts

Paul Mansfield’s story is easy to overlook because his name is so often mentioned in connection with someone far more famous. Yet his life becomes more interesting when viewed on its own terms. He was born in Texas in 1929, married Jayne Mansfield before she became a major Hollywood star, became the father of Jayne Marie Mansfield, later married Mary Sue Greer, and lived until 2013. His connection to Jayne placed him within an important chapter of Hollywood history, but it was only one chapter of a much longer life. The available evidence also reminds us to be careful with celebrity family histories: some details are well documented, while others remain private or appear differently across sources. For that reason, the most accurate picture of Paul Mansfield is not that of a forgotten Hollywood star, but of a private family man whose life became permanently connected to one of the entertainment world’s most memorable figures.

FAQs About Paul Mansfield

Who Was Paul Mansfield?

Paul Mansfield was an American best known publicly as Jayne Mansfield’s first husband and the father of her first child, Jayne Marie Mansfield. He was born Paul James Mansfield in Galveston, Texas, in 1929 and died in San Angelo, Texas, in 2013.

When Was Paul Mansfield Born?

Paul Mansfield was born on November 28, 1929, in Galveston, Texas, USA. His birth name was Paul James Mansfield.

Was Paul Mansfield Married To Jayne Mansfield?

Yes. Paul Mansfield married Jayne Mansfield on January 28, 1950. Their relationship ended in separation in the mid-1950s, and their divorce was finalized around 1957–1958, depending on the source consulted.

Did Paul Mansfield And Jayne Mansfield Have Children?

Yes. They had one daughter, Jayne Marie Mansfield, who was born in November 1950. She was Jayne Mansfield’s first child and Paul Mansfield’s daughter from his first marriage.

Who Was Paul Mansfield’s Second Wife?

Paul Mansfield’s second wife was Mary Sue Greer. IMDb records their marriage as beginning on June 1, 1957, and continuing until Paul’s death on June 8, 2013. IMDb also associates four children with that marriage.

When Did Paul Mansfield Die?

Paul Mansfield died on June 8, 2013, in San Angelo, Texas. IMDb records his age at death as 83.

What Was Paul Mansfield Known For?

Paul Mansfield is primarily known for his connection to Jayne Mansfield. He was her first husband and the father of Jayne Marie Mansfield. He also appeared as himself in several television and documentary productions dealing with Jayne Mansfield and her life.

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