Movies

Mariska Hargitay shares how she made peace with biological dad Nelson Sardelli after paternity bombshell

BBG News

As a lifestyle enthusiast, I’d like to share a heartwarming moment that recently transpired in my life: I had a delightful chat with my biological father, Nelson Sardelli.

In the renowned documentary “My Mom Jayne”, the 61-year-old actress disclosed a long-hidden truth from her past: Mickey Hargitay, the man who had been a significant figure in her life, was not her biological father.

At HamptonsFilm’s SummerDocs, she moderated a question-and-answer discussion on Thursday, sharing an emotional Father’s Day encounter she experienced with Sardelli, who is 90 years old.

She portrayed the encounter as ‘enchanting,’ sharing with the crowd, “‘I’m grateful for your forgiveness,’ he admitted. To which I replied, ‘I’m thankful for the decision you chose to make.’

Mariska openly discussed her journey towards accepting the truth about the identity of her real father, a secret within her family.

As reported by Just Jared, she pondered, ‘I’ve spent my existence believing I was unwanted, uncclaimed, unworthy, not good enough, and abandoned.’

‘And then I realized, “Oh, no, sweetie, you were chosen six ways from Sunday.”‘

In an engaging documentary, Sardelli stated his conviction that it was beneficial for Mariska to be brought up by Hungarian bodybuilder Mickey instead of him.

As an adult, Mariska has made peace with her family dynamic. 

Among her siblings are Tina Hargitay (age 76), Jayne Marie Mansfield (age 74), Mickey Hargitay Jr. (age 66), Zoltan Hargitay (age 64), and Tony Cimber (age 59).

After his final split from Mansfield, Hargitay married Ellen Siano in 1967. 

‘Now I feel like I have two mothers, I have two fathers,’ Mariska said at the screening.

As a devoted admirer, let me share how I, much like the character I portrayed on Law & Order: SVU, have found myself in a pivotal moment. The reason for my recent endeavor, the creation of this documentary, is that the stars have finally aligned. After a long wait of 58 years since my mom’s heart-wrenching passing, I am now ready to bring her story to life and share it with the world.

On the previously terminated late-night program in June, she expressed, “It seems like I’ve been getting ready for this moment my whole life.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, she found a collection of fan letters related to her mother, which she later shared.

In her own words, she expressed that she took the time to carefully go through each letter and item, which were genuinely treasured gifts, she found among the collection of personal stories and playbills.

‘So, I said, “I think I wanna dig in here,”‘ she added about feeling inspired to create the film.

During her visit to the Cannes Film Festival this year, Mariska reminisced about her mom, sharing with Deadline that the photographs of her mother at Cannes in particular held deep significance for her. She explained that these images captured her mother’s joy, freedom, and love for her father.

She said the striking black and white images ‘seared this emotional place’ in her mind.

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2025-07-19 17:49

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