‘Law & Order: SVU’ Star Mariska Hargitay Hospitalized for Multiple Leg Injuries

Law & Order: Special Victims star Mariska Hargitay revealed multiple serious leg and knee injuries this week, sharing an Instagram photo of herself wearing a knee brace on one leg and an ankle brace on the other while walking out of the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York. Hargitay explained in the caption of her post that after undergoing an MRI, doctors discovered she had “a broken knee, a hairline fracture in [her] ankle and a torn ligament.”

Hargitay, 57, did not initially offer details on how she suffered the injuries, but did reveal a silver lining: She does not need surgery. Later, she updated her post with an addendum thanking her friends and fans “for all the love.” She also said that the injuries “did not happen at work” while on the set of SVU.

Fans and friends alike immediately flooded the comments section with concerns, support and well-wishes. Strength and nutrition coach Adam Rosante wrote, “Apparently HSS actually stands for Hair & Shining Skin. Dude! You’re the only person I know who can walk out of that hospital looking like they just stepped out of a commercial.” One fan summed it up neatly on behalf of others, writing, “GIRL WHAT ON EARTH DID U DO!????!”

While details are unclear about how Hargitay suffered the injuries, it’s clear she has a world of support behind her. The good news is that Law & Order: SVU has likely wrapped up for Season 22, which has only three episodes until its June 3 season finale. It will return for a 23rd season on NBC in the fall, though it’s unclear when filming will resume over the summer or if it will be delayed at all due to Hargitay’s injuries.

As of late on SVU, Hargitay’s character, Captain Olivia Benson, has been navigating the choppy waters of reconnecting with her former partner, Detective Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni), who returned to fight organized crime in New York City after years away from the force. In last week’s Law & Order: SVU–Law & Order: Organized Crime crossover event, Olivia discovered a disturbing truth about her brother’s overdose death from a few years ago: What was first called an accidental overdose was really a case of manslaughter tied to a street drug with links to Elliot’s prime present-day suspect, Richard Wheatley. The storyline brought Stabler and Benson back together in an episode that had viewers recalling memories from the old days of SVU before Elliot’s abrupt departure.

All of that came after Elliot told Olivia (and also his children? Or was that a cover-up since they were standing in front of his children?) that he loves her in a surprisingly vulnerable moment for the tough guy. The drama will likely continue to mount in the next few episodes of both Law & Order series, which will both continue in the fall. Catch Law & Order: SVU Thursdays on NBC at 9 p.m. ET, with Law & Order: Organized Crime at 10.

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