The feud between Jayne Mansfield and Sophia Loren, two of the most famous screen sirens of the 1950s and 60s, is one of Hollywood’s most talked-about incidents. It centers around a single, infamous photograph from a 1957 dinner party hosted by Paramount Pictures in Loren's honor, after her arrival in Hollywood. What began as a glamorous affair soon spiraled into a scandalous moment, fueling a long-standing rivalry between the two actresses.
On April 12, 1957, the Italian actress Sophia Loren was celebrating her growing success at a dinner party thrown by Paramount Pictures at the Beverly Hills restaurant Romanoff’s. The event drew many Hollywood elites, including Jayne Mansfield, who was known for her provocative style and publicity stunts. As the cameras flashed, Mansfield made her grand entrance, wearing a plunging dress that left very little to the imagination. She strategically positioned herself next to Loren, who was the guest of honor.
It was at this moment that the legendary photograph was taken. In the image, Loren is seen giving a disapproving side-eye glance at Mansfield’s famously exposed cleavage. The photograph quickly became iconic, immortalizing the tension between the two women. Loren later remarked, “I’m staring at her nipples because I am afraid they are about to fall into my plate.” While the photograph seemed to capture the tension of the moment, it also symbolized the rivalry between the two actresses, who represented different styles of beauty and success in Hollywood.
Sophia Loren was known for her elegance, sophistication, and natural beauty, while Jayne Mansfield was famous for her over-the-top, bombshell persona and frequent wardrobe malfunctions, which she often used as a publicity tool. Loren, who built her career on her acting talent and subtle sensuality, was often cast in roles that celebrated her as an international sex symbol but in a more refined way. On the other hand, Mansfield embraced the Marilyn Monroe-esque image of the blonde bombshell and was often seen as a more exaggerated version of Hollywood glamour.
Their differing approaches to fame only heightened the competition between them. Mansfield's blatant use of her sexuality to garner attention often irked Loren, who preferred a more reserved and classic approach to stardom.
Although there were no public confrontations or ongoing verbal spats between the two actresses, the photograph became the lasting symbol of their feud. For years, Loren was asked about the image, and she always spoke with some disdain about the moment. In interviews, she would occasionally comment on how Mansfield’s antics were not her style and how she found the whole situation distasteful.
Mansfield, for her part, seemed unbothered by the attention the photo received. As someone who was accustomed to using shock value to stay in the headlines, the dinner party incident only bolstered her celebrity. Sadly, Mansfield’s life was cut short in 1967 when she died in a tragic car accident. Loren, however, continued to rise in Hollywood, solidifying her legacy as one of the greatest actresses of her time.
The feud between Jayne Mansfield and Sophia Loren was not one fueled by personal attacks but by their starkly different approaches to stardom and beauty in Hollywood. While they never engaged in direct conflict, their rivalry was immortalized by that famous side-eye glance, leaving behind one of the most iconic moments in Hollywood history.
