Who Is Mariska Hargitay’s Biological Father Nelson Sardelli?

Mariska Hargitay made headlines when she printed that her organic father was once no longer Mickey Hargitay — however was once, as an alternative, Nelson Sardelli.

Mariska was once born in 1964 to past due actress Jayne Mansfield, who died in a June 1967 automotive crash. The incident left the Law & Order: SVU famous person, who was once 3 on the time, with serious accidents.

The 2025 documentary My Mom Jayne explores Jayne’s existence sooner than and after the automobile coincidence, together with Mariska’s mother’s cut up from Mickey and temporary romance with Nelson. Jayne referred to as it quits with Mickey and reunited with Nelson sooner than Mariska’s beginning in 1964. The pair divorced that yr.

Mickey raised Mariska and siblings Mickey Jr. and Zoltán, uncovering the reality about her organic father’s identification in her 20s when she noticed an image of Nelson. When she introduced it as much as Mickey, he denied it. (Jayne was once mother to daughter Jayne Marie, born in 1950 with first husband Paul Mansfield and son Tony, born in 1965 with 3rd husband Matt Cimber.)

Mariska went on to fulfill Nelson when she was once 30 years previous and claimed she went “full Olivia Benson on him,” relating to her liked persona. “I was like, ‘I don’t want anything, I don’t need anything from you … I have a dad,’” Mariska recalled. “There was something about loyalty. I wanted to be loyal to Mickey.”

Mariska in the end modified her thoughts, deciding that she “grew up where [she] was supposed to.” She added, “I do know that everyone made the best choice for me. I’m Mickey Hargitay’s daughter — that is not a lie.”

So who’s Nelson? Scroll down to be told extra about Mariska’s organic father:

Nelson Has Other Daughters

Mariska advised Vanity Fair in 2025 that she and Nelson’s two different daughters, who gave the impression within the documentary My Mom Jayne, had a non-public screening for My Mom Jayne.

“They just wept and wept and wept,” Hargitay advised the opening whilst turning into emotional. “These two women that I love so much — I made them secrets! It’s so heartbreaking to me.”

Mariska defined that she referred to her sisters as “family friends,” including, “I’m not good with lies. So I also made this movie to unburden all of us.”

Nelson Served within the Army

Norm Clarke’s Vegas Diary reported that Nelson served within the Army for many of 1965 and till 1958. He went directly to paintings in building sooner than touchdown a gig making a song at an open mic position and pursuing a occupation within the leisure business.

When Mariska was once 30, she went to observe Nelson carry out in Atlantic City. She claimed to Vanity Fair in 2025 that he changed into emotional, telling her, “I’ve been waiting 30 years for this moment.”

Related: Mariska Hargitay Reveals the Identity of Her Biological Father

Mariska Hargitay printed the identification of her organic father after “living a lie” for 30 years. The Law & Order: Special Victims Unit famous person, 61, showed to Vanity Fair in an interview printed on Saturday, May 17, that her organic father is Italian singer and comic Nelson Sardelli — no longer bodybuilder and actor, Mickey Hargitay, […]

Nelson Resides in Las Vegas

Norm Clarke’s Vegas Diary reported in 2019 that Nelson has been in Las Vegas since 1965, just about one decade after immigrating from Brazil. “I came to the United States in 1956, to Pontiac, Michigan, because in Brazil I worked for General Motors, but they were laying off people all over Michigan,” he defined to the opening.

Nelson Pursued Acting

Nelson gave the impression in movies together with 1970’s Myra Breckinridge, 1982’s Fake Out and 2001’s Chilly Dogs.

Nelson Is Active In Philanthropy

The Las Vegas Sun reported in 1998 that Nelson arranged “Star Shine” fundraisers, with celebrities shining footwear in go back for charity donations.