Mariska Hargitay shocked the world when she premiered her emotional documentary My Mom Jayne: a Film by Mariska Hargitay at the 78th Cannes Film Festival with a family secret.
Despite being seen for her entire life as the daughter of blonde bombshell Jayne Mansfield and Hungarian-American bodybuilder Mickey Hargitay, she revealed in the documentary that Mickey is not her biological father.
Instead, it turns out that her father is actually Nelson Sardelli, with Mickey instead being her putative father. Read on to learn more about Sardelli, his relationship with Jayne, and his own life now…
Who is Nelson Sardelli?
Born in 1934 in Brazil, the now 90-year-old is a renowned singer and comedian of Italian descent. Nelson made the move from Brazil to the United States when he was in his early 20s.
A born entertainer, he had a two-year stint with the U.S. Army during his stay in the country, even teaching USO officers how to dance. He then returned to Brazil, where his exploits in the States were covered by local publications.
He eventually found more fame once he moved back to the United States with more dance and musical training, becoming a headline act in Atlantic City and, most notably, Las Vegas. His "gay cowboy" routine was popular on the strip and he even opened for Judy Garland.
Nelson also made appearances in films like the 1966 western The Professionals, the 1970 comedy Myra Breckenridge, and the 1982 crime comedy Fake-Out. He received the Golden Pillow Award for his exploits in Vegas and still lives in Sin City to this day.
Nelson and Jayne's relationship
Nelson and Jayne's relationship began in 1963, a well-publicized affair that overshadowed her ongoing separation and divorce proceedings from Mickey.
The couple even had plans to marry, with the comedian accompanying Jayne in her legal proceedings when the couple divorced in Mexico. However, while attempting to finalize the divorce in the United States, Jayne became pregnant with Mariska.
Her romance with Nelson quickly fizzled out and she briefly returned to Mickey, fearful that having a child out of wedlock would hamper her career opportunities. Their divorce was finalized in 1964, the year Mariska was born. Mickey was declared her legal guardian in 1967.
Nelson's life now
Not much is known about the performer's life now. He does maintain an active social media presence, although mostly just shares throwback photos. His most recent personal update saw him hospitalized over a back injury last week, just as My Mom Jayne premiered at Cannes.
Nelson now has a strong relationship with Mariska, which she highlighted in the documentary. It is unclear who else he had relationships with since Jayne, but he is now married to a woman named Lorraine.
The Vegas performer also welcomed three daughters during his lifetime, one of them passed away at an unspecified time. His other daughters, Mariska's half-sisters, are also close with the Law & Order star and appear in her documentary.