Latest news with #Sardelli
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Mariska Hargitay Reveals Shocking Family Secret She's Kept for More Than 30 Years in New Documentary
Mariska Hargitay revealed with the premiere of her documentary My Mom Jayne that her biological father is not Mickey Hargitay, the man who raised her Her biological father is a former Las Vegas entertainer named Nelson Sardelli Mariska opened up about the revelation in an interview with Vanity Fair, recounting the moment she first met and introduced herself to Sardelli, who is still alive and in his eightiesMariska Hargitay is opening up about a family secret she's kept for more than 30 years. At the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday, May 13, the Law & Order: SVU actress, 61, revealed with the premiere of her documentary My Mom Jayne that her biological father is not Mickey Hargitay, the man who raised her, but rather a former Las Vegas entertainer named Nelson Sardelli. As Mariska explains in the documentary — which marks her feature film directorial debut — she first learned of Sardelli when she was 25. She confronted Mariska, the only father she'd ever known, with the news, and after he insisted he was her father, the two never spoke of it again. But it left Mariska with many questions, wondering if she was Hungarian like her father and her brothers, Zoltan and Mickey Jr., or if she was really Italian like Sardelli. The actress opened up further about the revelation about her father in an interview with Vanity Fair. She told the outlet that she went to see Sardelli perform in Atlantic City, N.J., when she was 30 years old, and described his emotional reaction when she introduced herself. Moved to tears, he said, 'I've been waiting 30 years for this moment.' But Mariska said she found herself giving him a tough time and going "full Olivia Benson on him," referring to her 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, explaining, 'There was something about loyalty. I wanted to be loyal to Mickey.' She told Vanity Fair that after the momentous meeting with Sardelli, she grappled with "knowing I'm living a lie my entire life." Sardelli, who is still alive and now in his late eighties, participates in the documentary, as do his other two daughters — Mariska's half sisters. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. In the film, Mariska explains that, at 61 years old, keeping this a secret was no longer necessary. Mariska also has an older sister, Jayne Marie Mansfield, from her mother's first marriage, as well as a younger brother, Tony Cimber, from her mother's third marriage, both of whom are also featured in My Mom Jayne. The actress told Vanity Fair that once she eventually built a bond with Sardelli and his daughters, she better understood that her mother returned to Mickey because she knew he would love and provide a stable home life for Mariska. '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 noted. Mariska told Vanity Fair that she and her Sardelli sisters gathered together for a private screening of the documentary in Las Vegas, and recalled how they were overcome with emotion. 'They just wept and wept and wept,' she said. 'These two women that I love so much — I made them secrets! It's so heartbreaking to me.' For Mariska, sharing her story with the world in the documentary was a way to "unburden all of us.' Following the film's premiere screening at Cannes on Saturday, the audience gave a five-minute standing ovation. Mariska was joined at the event by her husband, Peter Hermann, and three kids. Read the original article on People
Express Tribune
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Mariska Hargitay confirms biological father's identity after decades of speculation
Mariska Hargitay has revealed that the man she believed to be her father for much of her life was not her biological parent. In a deeply personal interview, the Law & Order: SVU star shared that she uncovered the truth about her paternity in her thirties, decades after the death of her mother, actress Jayne Mansfield. In a recent feature with Vanity Fair (May 17), Hargitay, 61, recounted meeting her biological father for the first time after seeing him perform in Atlantic City. 'I went full Olivia Benson on him,' she said, referencing her long-running role. 'I was like, 'I don't want anything, I don't need anything from you... I have a dad.'' She recalled the man bursting into tears, telling her, 'I've been waiting 30 years for this moment.' Hargitay was raised by actor and bodybuilder Mickey Hargitay, who was married to Mansfield until their final divorce in 1964, the year Mariska was born. While the couple briefly reconciled before her birth, Mansfield had also been romantically involved with Brazilian-born Italian singer Nelson Sardelli during that time. Hargitay later confirmed that Sardelli is her biological father. Though rumors had circulated for years—mentioned even in Raymond Strait's 1992 biography Here They Are Jayne Mansfield—Hargitay said she first began to suspect the truth in her twenties after seeing a photograph of Sardelli. 'It was like the floor fell out from underneath me,' she shares in the upcoming documentary My Mom Jayne. Despite the emotional discovery and initial denial from Mickey, she later bonded with Sardelli and his daughters. 'I'm Mickey Hargitay's daughter—that is not a lie,' she said. 'I grew up where I was supposed to.'
Economic Times
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Economic Times
Mariska Hargitay breaks silence on paternity secret in Cannes premiere of ‘My Mom Jayne'
Reuters Mariska Hargitay unveils My Mom Jayne at the Cannes Film Festival, revealing her true biological father Nelson Sardelli while honoring Mickey Hargitay, the man who raised her At 61, Mariska Hargitay finds the truth was never her enemy When Mariska Hargitay walked the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival on May 17, few expected the Law and Order SVU actress to deliver one of the most personal revelations of her life on screen. Yet her new documentary My Mom Jayne , which is also her feature film directorial debut, tells the story she had kept hidden for over three film not only honors her late mother, Hollywood icon Jayne Mansfield, but also unearths a family secret that redefined her sense of identity. In front of an audience that gave a five-minute standing ovation, she shared what she first learned at 25, that the man who raised her, Mickey Hargitay, may not have been her biological father. Also read: Robert De Niro slams Donald Trump's foreign movie tariffs at Cannes, says 'art is a threat to the autocrats' Instead, that man was Nelson Sardelli, a former Las Vegas entertainer and, as Mariska reveals, her biological parent. The quiet weight of a hidden lineage Hargitay's emotional journey to the truth began with a confrontation. After learning of Sardelli's connection to her at age 25, she asked Mickey Hargitay about it. Despite his insistence that he was her father, they never discussed it again. Yet the knowledge quietly unraveled something inside her interview with Vanity Fair , Hargitay recalled watching Sardelli perform in Atlantic City five years later, then meeting him backstage. Overcome with emotion, Sardelli told her, 'I've been waiting 30 years for this moment.' Still, Hargitay, known for her fierce on-screen role as Olivia Benson, brought that same energy to the real-life moment: 'I was like, 'I don't want anything, I don't need anything from you.… I have a dad.' 'This tension between truth and loyalty defined her inner conflict. 'There was something about loyalty. I wanted to be loyal to Mickey,' she said, grappling with 'knowing I'm living a lie my entire life.' Also read: Cannes film festival 2025 update: Do not miss these top 10 must-watch movies this year A family rewritten, a bond restored The My Mom Jayne documentary doesn't just explore Mariska's own journey, but also features her half sisters who are also daughters of Sardelli and had been kept a secret from the world. 'These two women that I love so much — I made them secrets! It's so heartbreaking to me,' she said. The three women recently held a private screening in Las Vegas, where emotions ran high. 'They just wept and wept and wept,' Hargitay told Vanity Fair , underscoring how decades of silence gave way to a long-overdue connection. Despite the paternity revelation, Hargitay remains firm in her bond with Mickey. '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.' Cannes honors a daughter's love letter to her past The Cannes screening was more than a film premiere, it was a public reckoning with a deeply personal history. Hargitay's husband, Peter Hermann, and their three children joined her for the emotional debut. Through it all, My Mom Jayne remains a tribute to the man she calls 'the one I was closest to on this planet.' Also read: He's killing us: Cannes dealmakers hate Trump's big Hollywood idea 'I wanted to unburden all of us,' she explained of her decision to tell her story now. In doing so, she created not only a piece of cinema, but a moment of healing.
Time of India
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Mariska Hargitay breaks silence on paternity secret in Cannes premiere of ‘My Mom Jayne'
At 61, Mariska Hargitay finds the truth was never her enemy When Mariska Hargitay walked the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival on May 17, few expected the Law and Order SVU actress to deliver one of the most personal revelations of her life on screen. Yet her new documentary My Mom Jayne , which is also her feature film directorial debut, tells the story she had kept hidden for over three decades. Hargitay's film not only honors her late mother, Hollywood icon Jayne Mansfield, but also unearths a family secret that redefined her sense of identity. In front of an audience that gave a five-minute standing ovation, she shared what she first learned at 25, that the man who raised her, Mickey Hargitay, may not have been her biological father. Also read: Robert De Niro slams Donald Trump's foreign movie tariffs at Cannes, says 'art is a threat to the autocrats' Instead, that man was Nelson Sardelli, a former Las Vegas entertainer and, as Mariska reveals, her biological parent. Live Events The quiet weight of a hidden lineage Hargitay's emotional journey to the truth began with a confrontation. After learning of Sardelli's connection to her at age 25, she asked Mickey Hargitay about it. Despite his insistence that he was her father, they never discussed it again. Yet the knowledge quietly unraveled something inside her. In her interview with Vanity Fair , Hargitay recalled watching Sardelli perform in Atlantic City five years later, then meeting him backstage. Overcome with emotion, Sardelli told her, 'I've been waiting 30 years for this moment.' Still, Hargitay, known for her fierce on-screen role as Olivia Benson, brought that same energy to the real-life moment: 'I was like, 'I don't want anything, I don't need anything from you.… I have a dad.' ' This tension between truth and loyalty defined her inner conflict. 'There was something about loyalty. I wanted to be loyal to Mickey,' she said, grappling with 'knowing I'm living a lie my entire life.' Also read: Cannes film festival 2025 update: Do not miss these top 10 must-watch movies this year A family rewritten, a bond restored The My Mom Jayne documentary doesn't just explore Mariska's own journey, but also features her half sisters who are also daughters of Sardelli and had been kept a secret from the world. 'These two women that I love so much — I made them secrets! It's so heartbreaking to me,' she said. The three women recently held a private screening in Las Vegas, where emotions ran high. 'They just wept and wept and wept,' Hargitay told Vanity Fair , underscoring how decades of silence gave way to a long-overdue connection. Despite the paternity revelation, Hargitay remains firm in her bond with Mickey. '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.' Cannes honors a daughter's love letter to her past The Cannes screening was more than a film premiere, it was a public reckoning with a deeply personal history. Hargitay's husband, Peter Hermann, and their three children joined her for the emotional debut. Through it all, My Mom Jayne remains a tribute to the man she calls 'the one I was closest to on this planet.' Also read: He's killing us: Cannes dealmakers hate Trump's big Hollywood idea 'I wanted to unburden all of us,' she explained of her decision to tell her story now. In doing so, she created not only a piece of cinema, but a moment of healing.
