Some of  them died due to the ordinary circumstances of life, but these deaths seem undeniably eerie and untimely when you compare the similarities.  There are those who are convinced that there is a curse associated with these beautiful women.  Here are their stories, I will let you decide whether their deaths were simply a result of their lifestyles, or whether there is indeed a curse.

Dorothy Stratten

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Dorothy Stratten’s death was by far the most shocking due to the nature of the crime. The 1980 Playmate of the Year was brutally murdered on August 14, 1980 by her estranged husband, who then killed himself.  Her death shocked the nation just as her film career was beginning.  She is best remembered not only for her beauty and Playmate status, but also her cult classic movie Galaxina.

Marilyn Monroe

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Marilyn Monroe became a great Hollywood star after appearing on the front cover of the first issue of Playboy Magazine in December of 1953.  Although she was one of the greatest stars of all time, she led a troubled life full of misfortune and disappointment.  All her troubles came to a head in the early morning hours of August 5, 1962.  The official cause of death is self inflicted prescription overdose at the age of 36, however there will always be a controversy regarding that and her death will always be a mystery.  Some believe there was a murder conspiracy because of her association with mobsters and her affair with President John Kennedy and his brother Robert.

Tiffany Marie Sloan

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Tiffany Marie Sloan appeared in the centerfold in the October, 1992 issue of Playboy. She died from a drug overdose in Las Vegas, Nevada on November 1, 2008 at the age of 35.  Sources disclosed that she had an ongoing drug and alcohol problems and had recently been hospitalized.

Claudia Jennings

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Claudia Jennings was named Playboy’s Playmate of the Year for 1970.  She later became an actress and is best remembered for her athletic roles that portray a smart, strong and sexy female character type.  She died in a car crash in Malibu, California on October 3, 1979 at the age of 29.

Jayne Mansfield

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Jayne Mansfield became a famous Hollywood movie star and first appeared in the centerfold for the February 1955 issue of Playboy Magazine.  She appeared in the magazine several times after that.  On June 29th, 1967, Jayne Mansfield was killed instantly at the age of 34 when her car rear ended a tractor trailer on a country road on her way from New Orleans for an early morning television interview.  Witnesses agree that the crash was horrendous and shirred off the top of the car.  Many believe she was decapitated because her blond wig was thrown onto the dashboard. 

What is really outstanding about her death is that it came shortly after her decision to sever her ties with a questionable cult of worshipers.  The leader of the cult, upon learning of her decision, told her to stay away from her boyfriend Sam Brody because it was believed that he influenced her decision.  According to the cult leader’s grandson, his grandfather happened to cut out an article from a newspaper on the day of her death.  When he turned the clipping over, he discovered he had accidentally cut off the head of Jayne’s picture that had been printed on the other side of the page.

Other Playmates Who have died unexpectedly include:

• Carol Willis - She appeared in the July 1970 issue and was killed in a car crash just a year and a half later on November 24, 1971.
• Tonya Crews – Tonya appeared as the playmate of the month in the March, 1961 issue of Playboy.  She died in a car crash in Oklahoma on August 7, 1966 at the age of 38.
• Willy Rey - Willy was the playmate of the month in the February, 1971 issue of Playboy.  She was found dead  a drug overdose of sleeping pills on August 13, 1973.  She was just a few day shy of her 24th birthday.
• Paige Young – She appeared in the November, 1968 issue of Playboy.  She died from an overdose of sleeping pills on April 7, 1974 at the age of 30.
• Eve Meyer – She appeared in the June 1955 issue of Playboy died tragically in a plane crash on March 27 1977 at the age of forty eight.  What is uncanny is that the plane crash occurred on the ground between two commercial airliners at an airport in Spain.
• Elisa Bridges – Elisa appeared in the December 1994 issue of Playboy.  She later died at the mansion belonging to Edward Nahem, a friend of Playboy founder Hugh Hefner on February 7, 2002.
• Sue Williams - She became an actresses whose credits included five motion pictures and appeared in the centerfold of the April, 1965 issue of Playboy Magazine.  She committed suicide four years later on September 2, 1969 on her 24th birthday.

Other articles by Bren Parks include:

• Making Movies: Stars Who Died Undone
• Making Movies: Stars Who Collide
• Strange Acts of Entertainment
• Rock and Roll Suicides
• Making Movies: Beyond the Call of Duty