{"id":7332,"date":"2025-05-18T08:35:24","date_gmt":"2025-05-18T08:35:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/umyonews.site\/index.php\/2025\/05\/18\/mariska-hargitay-reveals-biological-father-after-living-a-lie\/"},"modified":"2025-05-18T08:35:24","modified_gmt":"2025-05-18T08:35:24","slug":"mariska-hargitay-reveals-biological-father-after-living-a-lie","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/umyonews.site\/index.php\/2025\/05\/18\/mariska-hargitay-reveals-biological-father-after-living-a-lie\/","title":{"rendered":"Mariska Hargitay Reveals Biological Father After ‘Living a Lie’"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/p>\n

\n

Mariska Hargitay<\/strong><\/a> revealed the identity of her biological father after \u201cliving a lie\u201d for 30 years.<\/p>\n

The Law & Order: Special Victims Unit<\/em> star, 61, confirmed to Vanity Fair<\/em><\/a> in an interview published on Saturday, May 17, that her biological father is Italian singer and comedian Nelson Sardelli<\/strong> \u2014 not bodybuilder and actor, Mickey Hargitay<\/strong>, as she\u2019d always been led to believe.<\/p>\n

Mariska\u2019s new documentary My Mom Jayne<\/em> explores the tragic aftermath of a June 1967 car crash that killed her mother, actress Jayne Mansfield<\/strong>, and severely injured the future Law & Order<\/em> star at age 3.<\/p>\n

Among the revelations in the film is that, before Mariska\u2019s birth, her mother split from then-husband Mickey \u2014 with whom she had two other children \u2014 and had a brief affair with Nelson, 90. Jayne quickly broke things off with the singer and returned to Mickey before Mariska was born. (Jayne had an older daughter, Jayne Marie, born 1950, with first husband Paul Mansfield<\/strong> as well as a son, Tony, born 1965, with third husband\u00a0Matt Cimber<\/strong>\u00a0following her 1964 divorce from Mickey.)<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n
\"Mariska<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

\n\t\t\t
\n Related: <\/span>Bensler! Christopher Meloni Gives Mariska Hargitay Sweet Birthday Tribute<\/span><\/a>
\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\n\t\t\t#Bensler forever! Christopher Meloni wished Law & Order: Special Victims Unit costar Mariska Hargitay a happy 59th birthday \u2014 and had a ton of fun doing it. \u201cMarsha,\u201d Meloni, 61, whispered via an Instagram video on Monday, January 23, referring to Hargitay by the nickname he has for her. \u201cDo you know what today is? [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Mickey raised Mariska with her two siblings \u2014 Mickey Jr., born 1958, and Zolt\u00e1n, born 1960 \u2014 and it wasn\u2019t until she saw a picture of Nelson in her 20s that she realized the truth.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was like the floor fell out from underneath me,\u201d she says in My Mom Jayne<\/em>. \u201cLike my infrastructure dissolved.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mariska recalled Mickey angrily insisting he was her biological father in their one and only conversation about the topic. Mickey died at age 80 in 2006.<\/p>\n

\n
\"GettyImages-75508086<\/div>

\n Mariska Hargitay and Mickey Hargitay Sr. in 2005<\/span> Steve Granitz\/WireImage<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The actress eventually met Nelson for the first time when she was 30 years old. Though Nelson told her he\u2019d been \u201cwaiting 30 years for this moment,\u201d Mariska remembered going \u201cfull Olivia Benson on him.\u201d (She has played tough-as-nails NYPD detective Olivia Benson on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit<\/em> since 1999.)<\/p>\n

\u201cI was like, \u2018I don\u2019t want anything, I don\u2019t need anything from you \u2026 I have a dad,\u2019\u201d Mariska said. \u201cThere was something about loyalty. I wanted to be loyal to Mickey.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, Mariska eventually mended fences with Nelson and his family. She said she ultimately came to the conclusion that she \u201cgrew up where [she] was supposed to.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI do know that everyone made the best choice for me,\u201d she added. \u201cI\u2019m Mickey Hargitay\u2019s daughter \u2014 that is not<\/em> a lie.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n
\"Mariska<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

\n\t\t\t
\n Related: <\/span>Mariska Hargitay Says Peter Hermann Marriage ‘Keeps Getting Better’<\/span><\/a>
\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\n\t\t\tMariska Hargitay should thank\u00a0Law & Order: Special Victims Unit for more than just decades of work. The hit NBC drama also introduced her to husband Peter Hermann. The couple, who tied the knot in August 2004, began their lasting relationship after his 2002 guest appearance. Hermann has continued his role as Trevor Langan to Hargitay\u2019s [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

In November 2024, Mariska opened up<\/a> at the Hope for Depression Research Foundation\u2019s 18th Annual HOPE Luncheon Seminar about what it was like growing up \u201cin a house of people dealing with the tragedy in their own way\u201d following Jayne\u2019s death.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause there was so much grief, there wasn\u2019t room to prioritize anyone,\u201d she explained. \u201cWe didn\u2019t have the tools that we have now to metabolize and understand trauma.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\n