It’s been a big year for Mariska Hargitay, and she’ll host the 2026 Primetime Emmy Awards on Monday, September 14. This year, she gave fans a closer look into her life, specifically her childhood, with her hugely successful documentary, “My Mom Jayne.” The film follows the life of her famous mother Jayne Mansfield, who died in 1967 in a car accident when she was 34.
As the spotlight shines on Hargitay ahead of the Emmys, a beautiful, loving group of people will be rooting for her. These are five fast facts to know about Hargitay’s family.
1. Mariska Hargitay Met Her Husband on Set
Hargitay and Peter Hermann met on the set of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” when he guest-starred on the show in 2002. The couple married in 2004 and have one of the most beautiful, enduring love stories in Hollywood.
In an appearance on “The Drew Barrymore Show” in January 2022, Hargitay reflected on meeting Hermann and said her thoughts were: “Who is that Clark Gable, Superman guy that I need to marry today?”
She also praised his appearance. “He was very handsome, and it was distracting,” she said, noting that this feeling was completely new for her and she had “never been like that to anyone ever.” Their first date was at church, and Hargitay remembered thinking “it was almost too good to be true.”
2. Mariska Hargitay Knew Early That Peter Hermann Was The One
Hargitay realized early on in their relationship that Hermann was the one for her. “As a little girl you’re told, ‘Oh, when it’s the right person, you’ll know. You’ll know,’” she told People in 2019. “But listen, I had been engaged previously, and I never knew.”
But when she went on her date with Hermann to a church, the realization that he was the person for her was like a “lightning bolt.” She continued, “I just started sobbing. Peter thought I was crying because I was so moved by the service. No, it was because I was just overwhelmed, realizing he was the one.”
3. She Became a Mom Later In Life
Hargitay and Hermann welcomed their first child, August Miklos Friedrich Hermann, on June 28, 2006. At the time, Hargitay was 42. “Because I became a mom later in life, everything in life means more,” Hargitay told SheBuysTravel in 2008. “Every day is deeper and richer and more soulful. Life is more sacred with him.”
In an interview with People in 2018, she said, “Our family is so perfect, or at least perfect for me. Together we’re just this whole, happy, joyful, chaotic, crazy unit. I’ve never known anything that was more right.”
4. Mariska Hargitay & Peter Hermann Adopted Two of Their Three Children
Hargitay and Hermann expanded their family in April 2011 when they adopted their daughter, Amaya Josephine Hermann. Six months later, they added to their family again when they adopted Andrew Nicolas Hermann in October 2011.
“We adopted Amaya, and Andrew, I always describe it as this angel that fell out of the sky, because he was a little unexpected,” Hargitay told People. “It’s something that happened very quickly, when adoption can take a long time. We were so beautifully and surprisingly … not because we’re not in sync, but surprisingly in sync about something so huge. So momentous.”
Motherhood has been impactful for Hargitay. “The thing that’s made me a better parent is my kids,” Hargitay said, People reports. “Because they taught me to really listen. My husband is my North Star, and my kids are my teachers.” She added, “The beauty is that families are made in so many different ways, and that was my reality as a child.”
Humor Is a Great Tool
In Hargitay and Hermann’s marriage, they have tough conversations, but they’ve found a way to do this with humor. “My husband and I also use a lot of humor to get through things,” she told E! News. “The way we can joke about things and then afterwards we go, ‘Too soon?’ It’s sort of everything for us.”
She also praised her husband for being able to communicate, saying, “If there is ever a disagreement or argument or we get scared or tight, I know that he will always think about it or think about what I said. If we disagree on something, I really will try to understand what he means. We give each other the space to have those—they can be tough conversations—but to really listen and understand, because I think you get into trouble when you close down.”
