Mariska Hargitay’s fans believed she was the daughter of Hollywood icons Jayne Mansfield and Mickey Hargitay. However, in May 2025, the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit actress revealed a major family secret – sharing that her biological father is actually Nelson Sardelli.

Actress Mariska Hargitay released a family secret bombshell in a new interview. For years, it was publicly believed that Hargitay's father was Mickey Hargitay, described by Vanity Fair as "a Hungarian bodybuilding champion turned actor who married Mansfield in 1956.

SVU star was raised by bodybuilder Mickey Hargitay, she revealed in My Mom Jayne that her biological dad is entertainer Nelson Sardelli.