A month after her documentary My Mom Jayne revealed the identity of her biological father, Mariska Hargitay is sharing the stunning story of how she discovered the truth. Appearing on Wednesday’s episode of “Call Her Daddy,” Hargitay said she only uncovered her true parentage at age 25, while visiting a super-fan of her late mother, Jayne Mansfield, to view his “overwhelming” collection of Mansfield memorabilia. The fan asked Hargitay if she wanted to see a photo of Italian singer and entertainer Nelson Sardelli, unaware that she had never heard the rumor that she was the product of an affair between him and Mansfield, who died in 1967. Until then, Hargitay believed her biological father was bodybuilder Mickey Hargitay, Mansfield’s husband from 1958 to 1964. “I think that he couldn’t believe that I didn’t know. I was 25, how could I not know?” recalled Hargitay. The Law & Order: SVU star, 62, says she immediately confronted Hargitay, who had raised her from birth, but he denied the claim. However, while the revelation was “incredibly painful,” Hargitay says she didn’t let it damage her relationship with Mickey, who died in 2006. “He was everything,” she said of her late dad. “I felt like I knew what love was because of his commitment to me.”
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