News | Entertainment
23 Jul 2025 11:40
NZCity News
NZCity CalculatorReturn to NZCity

  • Start Page
  • Personalise
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • Finance
  • Shopping
  • Jobs
  • Horoscopes
  • Lotto Results
  • Photo Gallery
  • Site Gallery
  • TVNow
  • Dating
  • SearchNZ
  • NZSearch
  • Crime.co.nz
  • RugbyLeague
  • Make Home
  • About NZCity
  • Contact NZCity
  • Your Privacy
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Join for Free

  •   Home > News > Entertainment

    Mariska Hargitay spent 30 years "living a lie"

    The 61-year-old actress - whose mother, actress Jayne Mansfield, was killed in a car accident when she was a baby - was raised to believe the late Mickey Hargitay was her biological father but, after always feeling different from her siblings, she realised in her 20s that her dad was actually Italian entertainer Nelson Sardelli, who her mom had dated following a brief split from her spouse


    Recalling how she was shown a photo of Nelson and immediately realised he was her dad, she said in new documentary 'My Mom Jayne': "It was like the floor fell out from underneath me.

    "Like my infrastructure dissolved."

    But when she confronted Mickey - who passed away in 2006 - he denied her suspicion and she never mentioned Nelson to him again.

    However, she went to see Nelson perform in Atlantic City when she was 30, and he cried when she introduced herself.

    He told her: "I've been waiting 30 years for this moment."

    But the 'Law and Order: SUV' star wanted to stay "loyal" to Mickey.

    She recalled: "I went full Olivia Benson on him. I was like, 'I don't want anything, I don't need anything from you.... I have a dad.'

    "There was something about loyalty. I wanted to be loyal to Mickey."

    In the aftermath, Mariska struggled to cope with "knowing I'm living a lie my entire life" and questioned whether she had been a wanted child or "illegitimate" mistake, and if she was Hungarian or Italian.

    The actress eventually bonded with Nelson and his daughters and began to understand Jayne had reconciled with Mickey because she knew he would offer them love and stability.

    She tearfully said: "I grew up where I was supposed to, and I do know that everyone made the best choice for me," she says. "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."

    Mariska was keen to open up about her complex family background in the documentary as a way to "unburden all of us", and she had a private screening of the film with Nelson's daughters in Las Vegas.

    She said: "They just wept and wept and wept. These two women that I love so much - I made them secrets! It's so heartbreaking to me."

    © 2025 Bang Showbiz, NZCity

     Other Entertainment News
     23 Jul: Ozzy Osbourne has died at the age of 76
     23 Jul: Malcolm-Jamal Warner, best known for his role as Theodore Huxtable on The Cosby Show, has reportedly died aged 54
     23 Jul: Charli XCX's leftover wedding cake was boxed up for a fan
     23 Jul: Heavy metal pioneer Ozzy Osbourne wanted Kiwis to love his last studio album as much as he did
     23 Jul: Hulk Hogan has seen the rights to stream Real American Freestyle league events snapped up by Fox Nation
     23 Jul: Junior Andre has named Jorja Smith and Joyner Lucas as his two dream collaborators
     23 Jul: Sylvanian Families are at the centre of a legal battle with a TikTok creator
     Top Stories

    RUGBY RUGBY
    Anton Lienert-Brown has extended his contract with New Zealand Rugby More...


    BUSINESS BUSINESS
    The annual Civil Contractors Conference is happening at a time of challenges for the sector More...



     Today's News

    Education:
    Calls for part-time study option to ease burden on Australian medical students 11:37

    Entertainment:
    Ozzy Osbourne has died at the age of 76 11:31

    National:
    Kneecap’s stance on Gaza extends a long history of the Irish supporting other oppressed peoples 11:17

    Health & Safety:
    Tobias Johannessen collapses after Tour de France stage 16, Valentin Paret-Peintre wins Mont Ventoux 11:17

    Soccer:
    A wide range of emotions for England manager Sarina Wiegman after they secured a berth in the final of football's women's European Championships 11:07

    Rugby:
    Anton Lienert-Brown has extended his contract with New Zealand Rugby 11:07

    Rugby League:
    Kevin Walters has been confirmed as the next Kangaroos league coach, replacing Mal Meninga 10:27

    Rugby League:
    Former Warriors captain Kevin Campion has likened the play of second-rower Leka Halasima to that of ex-teammate Ali Lauiti'iti  10:07

    National:
    The incredible impact of Ozzy Osbourne, from Black Sabbath to Ozzfest to 30 years of retirement tours 10:07

    International:
    Trump administration releases files on Martin Luther King despite family's opposition 10:07


     News Search






    Power Search


    © 2025 New Zealand City Ltd