For decades, Mariska Hargitay believed Mickey Hargitay was her biological father. But the Law & Order: SVU star later discovered that her biological father was actually Italian singer and entertainer Nelson Sardelli. Mariska was born in 1964, after her mother, actress Jayne Mansfield, briefly separated from Mickey and had a relationship with Sardelli before eventually returning to Mickey.

The revelation came when Mariska was in her twenties. Someone showed her a photograph of Sardelli, and she immediately felt a powerful recognition. She later confronted Mickey, but he denied the claim, leaving her overwhelmed and confused. Years later, Mariska tracked down Sardelli during one of his performances in Atlantic City. When they met, he reportedly burst into tears, saying he had been waiting decades for that moment. But Mariska initially kept her distance because, in her heart, Mickey was still her dad.

Over time, however, Mariska developed a relationship with Nelson and his family. She eventually came to understand that discovering her biological father didn’t erase the love she had for Mickey. “I’m Mickey Hargitay’s daughter — that is not a lie,” she explained, describing her documentary My Mom Jayne as a love letter to the man who raised her. She also reunited with members of her Sardelli family, turning a painful secret into something they could finally acknowledge together.

In 2025, Mariska brought My Mom Jayne to the Cannes Film Festival, where she told her mother’s story decades after Jayne Mansfield had once walked the same red carpet. Her journey was never simply about discovering who her biological father was—it was about understanding her past, honoring the people who raised her, and finally making peace with a truth that had remained hidden for years.