New Mariska Hargitay Documentary Unveils Shocking Family Secret
“My Mom Jayne,” directed by the actress, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival this weekend.
Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images
Making her feature film directorial debut with My Mom Jayne at the Cannes Film Festival this week, Law & Order: SVU actress Mariska Hargitay shocked audiences when she revealed that Mickey Hargitay, the Hungarian-American actor and bodybuilder who was married to her mother Jayne Mansfield from 1958 to 1964 and who raised her, is not her biological father. Instead, her biological father is a Las Vegas entertainer named Nelson Sardelli. Hargitay revealed in the documentary that she first learned about Sardelli when she was 25, at which time she confronted Mickey. Mickey insisted that he, Mickey, was her father, and the two never spoke of it again. Mariska met Sardelli when she was 30 years old after visiting him following a performance in Atlantic City—his response was an emotional one, telling her, “I’ve been waiting 30 years for this moment.” Sardelli, along with his two other daughters, appears in the documentary, which explores Mansfield’s life and legacy.
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