Actress Mariska Hargitay reveals her biological father was not Mickey Hargitay

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CANNES, FRANCE - MAY 18: Mariska Hargitay poses during the "My Mom Jayne: A Film By Mariska Hargitay" photocall at the 78th annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 18, 2025 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Marc Piasecki/FilmMagic)

Actress Mariska Hargitay, famously known for her role in NBC's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, revealed that her biological father is not Mickey Hargitay but Italian singer and comedian, Nelson Sardelli.

What they're saying:

Hargitay recently revealed the shocking news in an exclusive interview with Vanity Fair and in her documentary, "My Mom Jayne,"

The actress said her late famous mother, Jayne Mansfield, had a short relationship with Sardelli after she separated from Mickey. However, the couple got back together and Mickey helped raise Hargitay.

According to the magazine, Hargitay was shown a photo of Sardelli when she was younger and knew that he was her biological father, not Mickey. 

"It was like the floor fell out from underneath me," she said in the documentary. "Like my infrastructure dissolved." 

Brazilian-born singer and comedian Nelson Sardelli with an assortment of 'weapons', UK, 6th June 1972. (Photo by Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

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However, Hargitay said when she brought up with Mickey, he denied it. She never mentioned it again to Mickey, who died in 2006. 

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However, she still considers Mickey to be her father.

 "I’m Mickey Hargitay’s daughter -- that is not a lie."

Hargitay said she met Sardelli when she was a little older but didn't instantly connect with him, saying "I was like, ‘I don’t want anything, I don’t need anything from you.… I have a dad.’" 

However, the two developed a bond over the years, even with Sardelli's other relatives.