Mariska Hargitay's biological father is seen for the FIRST time since paternity bombshell revealed
Mariska Hargitay revealed a bombshell family secret she has kept hidden for over 30 years in her new documentary about her iconic late mother Jayne Mansfield.
Hargitay's documentary, My Mom Jayne, which marks her feature film directorial debut, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival last month.
In the film, the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit star revealed that her biological father is not Mickey Hargitay, the man who raised her.
The paternity bombshell revealed that former Las Vegas entertainer Nelson Sardelli is her father and he was spotted for the first time since that was made public.
Sardelli, 90, was photographed exiting a beige minivan and walking with a cane up to a white iron fence in front of a house.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Hargitay said she went to see Sardelli perform in Atlantic City, New Jersey when she was 30 years old and introduced herself to him as his daughter.
The Law & Order: Special Victims Unit star revealed that her biological father is not Mickey Hargitay, the man who raised her. The paternity bombshell revealed that former Las Vegas entertainer Nelson Sardelli is her father. Sardelli seen here June 7, 2025
She told the outlet that he was moved to tears when he told her: 'I've been waiting 30 years for this moment.'
Hargitay said that she ended up giving him a hard time and went 'full Olivia Benson' on him, referring to her Law & Order: SVU character.
'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.'
After that meeting, she said that she struggled with learning the secret about having more family members, 'knowing I'm living a lie my entire life.'
She opened up about the revelation in a Vanity Fair interview just shortly after premiering her documentary about her late mother, who passed away in June 1967 in a tragic car accident, when she was 34 and Mariska was just three years old'
She told the outlet that she learned about the secret when she was already an adult. At age 25, she found out that her biological father is Sardelli.
She later confronted Mickey, the man who raised her, but he insisted that he was her father.
They never discussed it again, but she recalled how she continued to question her lineage, wondering if she was truly Hungarian like her father Mickey — who passed away at the age of 80 in 2006 — and her brothers, Zoltan and Mickey Jr.
In an interview with Vanity Fair , Hargitay said she went to see Sardelli perform in Atlantic City, New Jersey when she was 30 years old and introduced herself to him as his daughter. Seen here June 6, 2025
Mariska shared that her biological father is not Mickey Hargitay, the man who raised her; Mickey pictured with Jayne, baby Mariska, sons Zoltan, Mikos, and daughter Jayne from Mansfield's previous marriage
Jayne was not only an international sex symbol in the 1950s and 1960s, but an award winning actress - winning a Golden Globe Award and a Theatre World Award.
She tragically died at age 34 in a car accident in Biloxi, Mississippi on June 29, 1967.
Mariska was in the car with her mom during the horrific accident; Mariska was three years old at the time, along with her siblings Miklos, then eight, and Zoltan, then six.
The accident took place on US Highway 90 on June 29, 1967 in Biloxi, Mississippi with Jayne, her attorney and partner Sam Brody (who was 40), and the driver (Ronald B. Harrison, 19) in front row with two of her dogs, and her three kids Mariska, Miklos and Zoltan with her other two dogs in the back.
They left the Gus Stevens Supper Club after midnight to head to New Orleans for an appearance Jayne was set to make the next day.
However at 2:25 am on June 29, 1967, the car crashed into the back of a tractor trailer that had slowed down in front of it - which occurred because of a insecticide fog spraying truck flashing a red light ahead of them.
The front row (Jayne, Sam and Ronald) plus two dogs died instantly - with the back row - her three kids and two dogs - only had minor injuries.
The kids were sleeping in the back of the car.
Mariska told Vanity Fair she went to see Sardelli perform in Atlantic City when she was 30 years old and introduced herself to him as his daughter, and he told her he'd been 'waiting 30 years for this moment'; Jayne pictured kissing Nelson
Sardelli, who is now in his late eighties, also appeared in her documentary alongside his other two daughters, Hargitay's half sisters Giovanna and Pietra.
Hargitay told the outlet that she eventually opened up to Sardelli and his daughters after understanding and accepting that her mother returned to Mickey because she knew he would provide a stabler home life for her.
She said that she gathered her sisters in Las Vegas for a private screening of the documentary before the premiere and recalled their emotional reactions.
'They just wept and wept and wept. These two women that I love so much — I made them secrets! It's so heartbreaking to me.'
In the documentary, Hargitay explained why she was unveiling her family secret now and said that because she is now 61 years old, she felt she could finally tell the truth and didn't have to hide it anymore.
'I grew up where I was supposed to, and I do know that everyone made the best choice for me,' she said. 'I'm Mickey Hargitay's daughter — that is not a lie.'
'This documentary is kind of a love letter to him, because there's no one that I was closer to on this planet,' she said.
She explained that she wanted to make the documentary to 'unburden all of us.'
Jayne had five kids total - daughter Jayne Marie with first husband Paul Mansfield, three children (Miklos, Zoltan and Mariska) with her second husband Mickey Hargitay - and one son Antonio with third husband Matt Cimber.
Jayne, who was born on April 19, 1933, first appeared in Playboy magazine as the February 1955 Playmate of the Month, and multiple other issues after.
As an actress, she starred in The Girl Can't Help It, The Wayward Bus, Too Hot to Handle and Promises! Promises!, as well as the Broadway play Will Success Rock Hunter?
My Mom Jayne, which will air on HBO, will follow Mariska as she 'seeks to know, understand, and embrace her mom for the first time,' per the outlet.
Mariska has made a name for herself in Hollywood - best known for her iconic role of Olivia Benson in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
She has played Olivia in the hit series since 1999. She is a Globe Globe winner and a two-time Emmy winner, with her own Hollywood Walk of Fame star, which she received in 2013.
Mariska has been married to Younger star Peter Hermann, 57. They share three kids–two sons and a daughter.
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Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Secret meaning behind Cynthia Erivo's Tony Awards dress leaves viewers emotional... did YOU catch it?
Cynthia Erivo opened the 2025 Tony Awards with a dazzling performance... but it was her choice of ensemble that has truly caught everyone's attention. The actress and singer, 38, displayed her amazing vocals as she kicked off the show by singing an original song called Sometimes All You Need Is a Son. It contained clever tributes to many of the nominated Broadway shows sprinkled throughout the lyrics and a slew of backup singers who added a gospel touch. Cynthia - who is hosting the star-studded event - opted for a sparkly, floor-length red dress for the performance, which contained a white belt and collar. Fans were quick to notice a small detail about the stunning gown that left them emotional. Many theorized the ensemble had a hidden meaning behind it and that gave a nod to an iconic Broadway show. Viewers rushed to X, formerly Twitter, to point out that the dress looked just like the red gown that the titular character wears in the beloved musical Annie. 'Cynthia Erivo looking like Annie I think I am gonna like it here,' one user wrote. Viewers rushed to X, formerly Twitter, to point out that the dress Cynthia wore looked just like the red gown that the titular character wears in the beloved musical Annie 'Cynthia in this little orphan Annie fit,' added another. 'Anyone else see it?' asked someone else alongside a side-by-side of Cynthia on stage and Annie in the 1982 film. 'Thought she was dressed kind of like Santa for a hot minute before I realized it is more likely a nod to Annie,' read a fourth tweet. A different person joked that the dress was 'giving sexy orphan Annie.' Cynthia drew a mixed reaction from the performance, with some fans calling it electrifying and others branding it cringeworthy. Others slammed Oprah Winfrey for 'crashing' Cynthia's moment. The 38-year-old had just begun her walk from backstage to center stage when Oprah suddenly appeared onscreen to offer her support. The iconic TV host even referenced Cynthia's now-viral finger-holding moment with Ariana Grande during last year's Wicked promo tour. But viewers slammed her involvement as 'unnecessary' and distracting. 'Oprah had to ruin the moment. Of course she had to put herself in the beginning #TonyAwards,' one frustrated fan posted. Another chimed in, 'Oprah was unnecessary #TonyAwards.' And a third wrote bluntly, 'Why does Oprah have to be in everything?' The Tony Awards kicked off at 8pm and is honoring the biggest stars and shows on Broadway. It will feature a slew of dazzling performances from some of the hottest shows of the year - as well as an emotional reunion from the original Hamilton cast in honor of the 10th anniversary. While some stars wowed in glamorous dresses and stunning looks on the red carpet before hand, others completely missed the mark with their ensembles.
