Mariska Hargitay reveals shocking family secret shes hidden for 30 years in My Mom Jayne doc

Her dad Nelson.Mariska Hargitay’s new documentary, “My Mom Jayne,” doesn’t just explore the life of her famous mom, actress Jayne Mansfield.The film, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on May 17, also reveals the real identity of her biological father.For the first time, the “Law & Order: SVU” actress has revealed that her father is not actually bodybuilder Mickey Hargitay.

Thirty-six years ago, she found out her biological dad is a retired Las Vegas showman named Nelson Sardelli.“It was like the floor fell out from underneath me,” she said of learning the truth, stating that she was “living a lie” for decades.“Like my infrastructure dissolved.”Mansfield had a brief affair with Sardelli, 90, before she reconciled with Mickey.

She and Mickey divorced in 1964.Jayne also was mom to daughter Jayne Marie with first husband Paul Mansfield, sons Miklós “Mickey” and Zoltán with Mickey and son Antonio “Tony” with third husband, Italian movie director Matt Cimber.Mariska recalled seeing a picture of Sardelli in her 20s and demanding the truth.Mickey initially insisted that he was her biological father.

He later died at age 80 in 2006.Mariska would go on to meet Sardelli for the first time when he performed in Atlantic City, N.J.She was 30 years old at the time.“I’ve been waiting 30 years for this moment,” the actress recalled him saying during an interview with Vanity Fair.Although emotional, Hargitay had a difficult time with their exchange and began to act like her iconic NBC character.“[I went] full Olivia Benson on him,” she told the outlet.

“I was like, ‘I don’t want anything, I don’t need anything from you.… I have a dad, ‘ ” she recalled telling him.“There was something about loyalty.

I wanted to be loyal to Mickey.”Sardelli and his other two daughters — Mariska’s half sisters — participated in the documentary, in addition to Mariska’s other siblings Jayne Marie and Tony.At 61, th...