Mariska Hargitay sexual assault personal essay: SVU star shares emotional experience

Mariska Hargitay opens up about being raped in her 30s and how she's been able to heal in a personal essay.

Mariska Hargitay, known for her role as a detective on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, recently revealed in a personal essay for People that she was raped by a friend in her thirties. She describes the experience as one of dominance and control, and admits that she initially couldn't believe it happened, choosing to remove it from her narrative in order to survive.

Despite her own trauma, Hargitay founded the Joyful Heart Foundation to help other survivors of assault and abuse. She explains that she was building the organization on the outside while doing the internal work of healing. Over time, with support from friends and family, she was able to confront her own experience and have her own reckoning.

Hargitay also acknowledges the impact of the SVU community and her character Olivia Benson on her journey. She emphasizes that while the experience was horrible, it does not define her, just as no single part of anyone's story defines them. As she approaches 60, she expresses deep gratitude for where she is and a renewed compassion for all who have suffered, affirming that she is still proudly in process.

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