Mariska Hargitay Reveals Biological Father in Personal Documentary About Jayne Mansfield

In a deeply personal revelation, Mariska Hargitay, best known for her role as Olivia Benson on *Law and Order: SVU*, shares a major discovery about her parentage in her new documentary *My Mom Jayne*. Premiering on May 17, 2025, at the Cannes Film Festival, the film explores the life and legacy of her mother, actress Jayne Mansfield. Hargitay discloses that her biological father is not Mickey Hargitay, the Hungarian actor and bodybuilder long believed to be her dad, but rather Italian entertainer Nelson Sardelli. Mansfield had a brief separation from Mickey in 1963–64, during which she met Sardelli. After Mansfield’s death when Mariska was just three years old, she eventually discovered the truth upon seeing a photo of Sardelli. Although initially hesitant to embrace him—stating she ‘went full Olivia Benson’ in her guarded reaction—she has since developed a relationship with Sardelli and his daughters. Hargitay says the film serves as an emotional excavation, aimed at lifting the burden of family secrets. She also discusses the difficulty of reconciling her mother’s public image with her own longing for a normal maternal figure. *My Mom Jayne* will air on HBO on June 27, just before the anniversary of Mansfield’s death.