Mariska Hargitay has made heartbreaking revelations about surviving sexual assault in her thirties.
The “Law & Order: SVU” star is known for championing victims of sexual assault and harassment in the police drama series. However, no one knew the actress was also a rape victim until she broke the news in a powerful story and credited her fans as her source of strength.
Mariska Hargitay Breaks Silence About Rape Incident
Hargitay revealed in an emotional essay that she was raped by a friend in her thirties, a horrific experience she separated herself from in order to survive.
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“A man raped me in his thirties. It’s not sexual at all. It is mastery and control. Too much control,” he wrote. “He was a friend. Then he wasn’t. I tried all the ways I knew to get out of it. I tried to make jokes, to be interesting, to set boundaries, to make excuses, to say no.
Hargitay continued in an essay for PEOPLE Magazine: “He held my hand and held me. I was very scared. I don’t want it to escalate to violence. I now know it was sexual violence, but I was afraid he would be physically violent. I go into freeze mode, a normal trauma response when there’s no escape option.”
Describing how the experience felt, the famous actor wrote, “I came out of my body. I can’t process it. I can’t believe that it happened. That it can happen. So I cut it. I took it out of my narrative.” According to the “Law & Order” star, she began isolating herself from the trauma in order to survive the horrific event but that has since changed.
“I now have so much empathy for the part of me that made that choice because that part got me through it. It never happened. Now I respect that part: I do what I have to do to survive.
Now approaching his sixties, the 59-year-old is ready to relive his hidden memories thanks to the strength he gained while playing beloved agent Olivia Benson in “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” In his words:
“Survivors who have watched the show tell me I have helped them and given them strength. But they are my source of strength. They have experienced darkness and brutality, complete disregard for other humans, and they have done what they need to in order to survive.”
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He added, “For some, that means making Olivia Benson a big part of their lives—which is an incredible honor—for others, it means building a foundation. We are strong, and we find a way through it.”
Hargitay now focuses her energies on helping survivors through her Joyful Heart Foundation. Through this charity, he can do the necessary work inside and start dealing with his experience as a severe case instead of minimizing it.
For justice, she wants a confession and an apology from her rapist. “That is a start. I don’t know what’s on the other side, and it won’t undo what happened, but I know it plays a role in how I’m going to get through this,” he explained before ending his story with gratitude.
“I am turning 60, and I am very grateful for my position. I am renewed, and I am flooded with compassion for all of us who have suffered. And I’m still proud of the process,” Hargitay concluded his emotional essay.
Mariska Hargitay Celebrates 25 Years of ‘Law & Order: SVU’
During his cover story, Hargitay also reflected on his time on “Law & Order: SVU” in honor of its 25th anniversary. When he first landed the role, the actor stated he was the second lead alongside Christopher Meloni’s character Elliot Stabler.
“He’s the leading man and more experienced, and I’m trying to catch up to him,” she told PEOPLE Magazine. However, his character soon rose through the ranks to become lieutenant and then captain of the squad, and eventually, Hargitay became the main lead of the show with Meloni’s departure in 2011.
“As I became more comfortable with the character, you see this powerful woman emerge,” she said of her growth on the show. “In a way, it’s a rebirth, and that’s great and exciting and very uncomfortable to be reckoned with on your own.”
Hargitay’s character, Olivia Benson, is officially the longest-running character in a primetime drama series as “Law & Order: SVU” returns for its 25th season on January 18. Also, this makes the police drama series the longest running drama. series in TV history.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
