In a deeply personal interview, Law & Order: SVU star Mariska Hargitay shared a decades-old family secret: Mickey Hargitay, the man who raised her, is not her biological father.

In her upcoming documentary My Mom Jayne, Mariska reveals that her real father is Italian singer Nelson Sardelli, who had a brief relationship with Jayne Mansfield during a split from Mickey in 1963. Mariska said, “I have a dad… I wanted to be loyal to Mickey,” but admitted she felt a strong connection to Nelson’s identity.

Years later, she met Nelson, and while it wasn’t an instant reunion, they eventually formed a quiet relationship. “This documentary is kind of a love letter to [Mickey]… there’s no one I was closer to,” Mariska added tearfully.

After years of silence, both the Hargitay and Sardelli families united for the film. Now, Mariska is premiering My Mom Jayne at Cannes, honoring her mother’s legacy and finally embracing her full truth: “I’m not good with lies… this movie is also for them — a way to unburden us all.”