Mariska Hargitay and Peter Hermann, stars of “Law & Order: SVU” and “Younger” respectively, have been married since 2004, but their journey to happiness was not without its challenges. Their relationship faced several breakups before they ultimately tied the knot. One significant split occurred after Thanksgiving, leaving Hargitay “heartbroken.”
Their romance began on the set of “Law & Order: SVU” during a season 3 episode titled “Monogamy.” Hermann was captivated by Hargitay and made a bold move by visiting her dressing room after filming.
“You came into my dressing room,” recalls Hargitay in the book “What Makes a Marriage Last” by Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue. “Nobody does that. And then we talked for like three hours about God. That’s where the conversation went.”
Hermann felt an immediate connection and was reluctant to leave after their conversation ended. “I knew very quickly that we had dealings with each other, business with each other,” he shared with Donahue and Thomas. “And it was very telling that at the end of that episode I didn’t want to leave.”
Despite their deep connection, their relationship encountered challenges due to differing expectations and perspectives on life’s major issues.
“We saw the world differently,” Hermann admitted. “You end up opening your heart fairly wide when you marry someone, so I was proceeding with great care, sort of inching my way forward.”
Their differences became apparent, leading to a rocky period after a particularly poignant Thanksgiving gathering at Hargitay’s home. “I had all these people over–it was beautiful and a very big deal—and he was the first to leave,” recounted Hargitay. “I thought, Wait, what? Are you in or are you out? I’m in, but I’m only in if we’re both in. I was in love and ready to really move forward.”
Hermann, needing time to make a decision, left early that day. This eventually led to their breakup and a three-month period of not speaking.
Reflecting on that time, Hargitay expressed her heartbreak. “I was brokenhearted,” she shared with Thomas and Donahue. “And this is true: On the day that I woke up and thought I might be okay—that I was over him and could continue life as I knew it—all of a sudden I got a letter from Peter. It was an unbelievably beautiful letter that explained a lot. And then he asked me out for Valentine’s Day.”
Their story is a testament to the complexities of love and the power of communication and understanding in relationships.
