Olivia Benson is on the case.
Mariska Hargitay, 60, who has starred as Olivia Benson on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” since 1999, doesn’t only solve fictional crimes on television.
In a recent “Today” show interview, Andrea Canning of NBC’s “Dateline” revealed that Hargitay funded Michigan prosecutor Kym Worthy as she solved thousands of cases.
After Worthy discovered that over 11,000 untested rape kits were sitting on a shelf in an evidence room, she sought to get them tested but needed money to accomplish that task.
“So, who stepped in? None other than ‘Law and Order’s’ Mariska Hargitay,” Canning revealed.
Canning explained that the actress “helped them raise the money to get this done.”
Hargitay and her husband, Peter Hermann, who is also an actor, have three kids: daughter Amaya, 12, and sons August, 18, and Andrew, 12.
In an interview with Variety published May 2, Hargitay said, “The world and the culture needed an Olivia Benson, needed somebody to talk about these things and fight for survivors and believe victims.”
She added, “The inception of the show was so genius that way, because Olivia was the loving mother that we all want.”
Hargitay’s real-life work funding Worthy’s efforts resulted in thousands of cases being solved and 22 serial rapists getting discovered.
Canning said Worthy and Hargitay’s combined work is “having a ripple effect across the country [and] is making changes everywhere — for police departments for prosecutors’ offices.”
Hargitay has helped real law enforcement before.
In April, while filming Season 25 of “Law & Order: SVU,” a little girl who got separated from her mother approached Hargitay, mistaking the actress for a real-life cop.
The show halted production for about 20 minutes as Hargitay successfully helped the young child find her mom at the Anne Loftus Playground in Fort Tryon Park.
While speaking to Entertainment Tonight at Variety’s Power of Women event on May 2, Mariska reflected on the incident.
“We were meant to connect at the moment we did,” she said.
“This little angel girl was in need and we connected and I could see that,” Mariska continued. “So I did what any mother on this planet would do.”
The Emmy winner also gushed over getting to hug the mother and daughter once they reunited.
“It was beautiful,” she said.
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