Mariska Hargitay totally slayed at the Law & Order: SVU 25th anniversary celebration at New York City’s Edge at Hudson Yards on Tuesday, January 16. The 59-year-old actress attended the event in a sparkling silver sequin dress with a pair of black heels and silver earrings. Mariska let her brunette hair down for the night out, where she reunited with her co-stars from the past and present including Christopher Meloni, Ice-T, and Kelli Giddish, to celebrate the long-running show’s upcoming 25th season that premieres January 18 on NBC.
Mariska shared two photos from her red carpet look and posted them to Instagram. “Oh what a night….. #SVU25 i’m swimming in gratitude #SilverCelebration #25Years #BeautifulReunion#SVUFamily,” she wrote. The Emmy Award winner also posed for pictures with her husband, Peter Hermann, at the party.
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight at the event, Mariska revealed the legacy that she hopes to leave for her beloved police detective character, Olivia Benson. “I hope that her legacy is that she helped a lot of people heal,” Mariska said while fighting back tears. “It’s too early to cry, people! It’s way too early.”
Mariska also spoke to ET about her recent decision to reveal that she was raped by a friend when she was in her 30s. “I think it was time, you know?” she said. “And I was shored up enough and felt safe and ready, so I was excited, really excited, and it’s been a beautiful moment.” She added, “I’ve been wanting to do it for a long time, so just waiting for the right moment that felt right. Everything about it was perfect.”
In an essay for PEOPLE that was published January 10, Mariska detailed being sexually assaulted and how she “removed it from my narrative” after it happened. “I now have so much empathy for the part of me that made that choice because that part got me through it. It never happened. Now I honor that part. I did what I had to do to survive,” she said.
The Law & Order: Organized Crime star also said that she wants to educate others on rape and sexual assault. “I want no shame with the victim. The shame of the act belongs with the perpetrator: they’re the ones who committed the heinous, shameful act,” she said in the essay. “As for justice, it’s important to know that it may look different for each survivor.”
If you or anyone you know has been sexually abused, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). A trained staff member will provide confidential, judgment-free support as well as local resources to assist in healing, recovering and more.