Let's be honest: is not known for being a particularly romantic show. But, like Rihanna sad, some people find love in a hopeless place–including Mariska Hargitay and her husband, Peter Hermann, who met on the grim procedural's set back in 2001.
Ever since, it's been a match made in TV fandom heaven. Hargitay, 56, has starred as Lieutenant Olivia Benson on for ; Hermann, 53, is beloved for playing the dashing editor Charles Brooks on (speaking of which, can get here soon?).
Coming up on their 16th anniversary in August, they're among Hollywood's most rock-solid—and, if you ask us, sweetest—couples, as the many pictures of them gazing at each other show.
Here's what you need to know about Mariska Hargitay and Peter Hermann's marriage.
Back in 2002, Hermann was cast as defense attorney Trevor Langan in . Naturally, his path crossed with the star, Mariska Hargitay. Over the years, Hermann has appeared on regularly. His character, Trevor, even
When filming wrapped, Hermann invited Hargitay on a first date—to church. The pair had been discussing religion when he suggested the idea. "I just about passed out when I saw him there," Hargitay told . "I thought, that's my husband."
During the church service, Hargitay was overwhelmed by emotion. Speaking to , she said she recognized, then and there, that Hermann was her future husband.
Many years later, Hargitay described the feeling of certainty to in greater detail. “I cried because I was feeling something that I’d never felt before, but I kind of knew what it was. When you’re a little girl, your parents and your grandparents and everyone goes, ‘When you’re in love, you’ll know.’ And I did,” she said.
You either know Hermann as Charles Brooks, the publishing mogul seen in TV Land's —or as the guy in the Persil ProClean commercials. If only the laundry detergent came with an IRL appearance of the 6'5" actor.
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Persil ProClean’s Super Bowl 50 Ad
After meeting on set, Hargitay and Hermann proceeded to have a very New York romance—fitting, considering is one of the ultimate New York shows. Speaking to , Hermann recalled walking to his apartment on West 36th street, and encountering a literal herd of rats . "The only thing I could say to this woman I loved, and whom I would eventually marry, was, 'New York!'"
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They got married at the Unitarian Historical Chapel in Santa Barbara. The ceremony was sprinkled with details that were specific to the couple. Hargitay wore a pale pink Carolina Herrera gown, with the into the lining.
“They’re mad about each other,” Yifat Oren, the couple's wedding planner, told at the time. “And they’re hilariously funny together.”
Hargitay and Hermann's family has grown over the years. Their first son, August, was born in 2006, when Hargitay was 42. The couple adopted their next two children, Amaya and Andrew.
Speaking to , Hargitay revealed that adoption was always part of their plan. "August wanted siblings, and Peter and I both envisioned this big family because we both come from that. Plus, we just had so much love to give," Hargitay told. Hargitay recalled that Amaya's birth mother told her, "'I know this is right. You are this baby's mother,'" the first time they met.
Their son, Andrew, came into their lives soon after they adopted newborn Amaya.
"I don't really know what to say about it, other than it was a no-brainer. Peter and I both thought, It was like...a miracle. And I don't use that word lightly. I've never made a bigger decision so quickly. The whole thing happened in a total of two days," Hargitay said. They named their son after a good friend, Andrew, who had recently passed away.
Speaking to in 2020, Hargitay called being a mom “the most important thing I’ll ever do.
On the show , Hargitay plays a woman who comes face-to-face with the ramifications horrific crimes, including sexual assault. In real life, Hargitayhas become an advocate for survivors of these crimes—largelyof the show.
"She received hundreds, then thousands of letters and emails from survivors disclosing their stories of abuse, many for the first time. She wanted to answer—really answer—those letters, to address the suffering they described, and honor acts of courage they represented.
In 2017, Hargitay produced the illuminating HBO documentary about the shocking number of untested rape kits. Ahead of the documentary's premiere, Hargitay credited Hermann for making the project possible.
"Your constant support and love throughout the making of humbled me, and I’m so grateful. Thank you for watching every cut, for your great eye, your notes and your intelligence. And your big, beautiful heart. Building your dreams is like building a house—it requires patience, loving care, and a solid foundation. To the other halves out there: you make the dream possible," she wrote on Instagram.
Through her charity, Hargitay has worked with presidential candidate Joe Biden since 2013. On the , Hargitay will address the backlog of untested rape kits. One thing's for sure: Hermann will be cheering her on throughout her appearance.
