Mariska Hargitay Reveals Biological Father in Cannes Documentary

Mariska Hargitay revealed in her directorial debut documentary, My Mom Jayne, that her biological father is not Mickey Hargitay, the man who raised her, but rather Nelson Sardelli, a former Las Vegas entertainer. She discovered this secret in her twenties after seeing a photo of Sardelli and later confronted Mickey, who denied the claim, leading to an unspoken silence between them. Despite her loyalty to Mickey, whom she considered her true father figure, Mariska sought out Sardelli in her thirties, where he emotionally welcomed her as his daughter. The revelation left Mariska grappling with her identity and ethnicity, questioning whether she was truly Hungarian like Mickey and her brothers or Italian like Sardelli. Ultimately, she affirmed her love and loyalty to Mickey, emphasizing that he was the father who raised her and to whom she felt closest. The documentary serves as a tribute to both her late mother Jayne Mansfield and Mickey Hargitay, reflecting on the complex family dynamics and her journey of self-discovery.