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.

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 says that in her 20s, she discovered that the man who raised her was not her biological father — but she has no regrets: 'I grew up where I was supposed to.'