‘Law & Order: SVU’ Star Celebrates Milestone Anniversary

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit star Mariska Hargitay had reason to celebrate over the weekend. She and her husband, frequent SVU guest star Peter Hermann, celebrated their 18th wedding anniversary. Hargitay, 58, and Hermann, 55, married in 2004 and have three children, Amaya, 11, August, 16, and Andrew, 10.

“Eighteen years. Grateful. In love. Together,” Hargitay wrote on Instagram Sunday. She included a picture from their wedding day on one slide and a more recent picture of the couple vacationing on the next.

The post racked up over 360,000 likes and hundreds of comments, including some from Hargitay’s celebrity followers. “Happy anniversary to you both xxx,” Naomi Watts wrote. “I want this in life omg y’all are goals,” one fan wrote. “Happy anniversary! Wishing you both many many many more years of love happiness and adventure,” another commented.

Hermann and Hargitay met on the set of SVU in 2002. Hargitay has played Olivia Benson since the show launched in 1999 and continues to do so today, making her character one of the longest-running in television history. Hermann has frequently guest-starred on the show as defense attorney Trevor Langan. His most recent appearance came in the March episode “Video Killed the Radio Star.” Hermann has also popped up on Blue Bloods as Bridget Moynahan’s on-screen ex-husband.

In a June 2019 interview with PEOPLE, Hermann said the laughter they share has kept their relationship strong. “I never thought I would have this much laughter in my life,” the Younger actor said. “Not just actual laughter… But also the way that Mariska is just the embodiment of laughter – of joy.”

Hargitay told Today in 2019 that she teared up during their first date because she instantly knew he was the one. “I cried because I was feeling something that I’d never felt before, but I kind of knew what it was,” she said. “And I always say to people, well, you know, 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.”

Benson and the rest of the SVU team will be back in action on Sept. 22 during the first-ever three-show Law & Order crossover event. Season 24 will also be the last to include Kelli Giddish’s Det. Amanda Rollins, as Giddish announced she will be leaving. Last week, Variety reported that NBC made the decision to force Giddish out, even though Hargitay tried to use her power as executive producer to keep her on.