Mariska Hargitay’s fans believed she was the daughter of Hollywood icons Jayne Mansfield and Mickey Hargitay. However, in May 2025, the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit actress revealed a major family secret – sharing that her biological father is actually Nelson Sardelli.

Mariska Hargitay was 3 years old when her mother, actress Jayne Mansfield, was killed in a car accident in 1967. The mother of five, who was compared to Marilyn Monroe, was 34.