Beyond TV screens, Mariska Hargitay has a strong passion for solving crime. She has also lent a helping hand to enforcing law and order in real life. Recently, a guest on the NBC podcast Dateline: True Crime Weekly testified to this.
On Thursday, August 15, 2024, podcast host Andrea Canning brought on Detroit’s Wayne County prosecutor, Kim L. Worthy, to the show. Worthy had found a stockpile of untested rape kits in 2009 and pushed for them to be tested.
She got wind of the massive number of rape kits after one of her attorneys gave her a call to reveal the information. Worthy, who was the first-ever African-American to hold the position, quickly swung into action to unravel the kits.
However, over 11,000 such kits were sitting in the police evidence room. They would cost quite a fortune to test. Worthy, who referred to the evidence room as “basically a crime scene,” soon found out that each test would cost $1,200 to $1,500.
Even after launching a fundraiser, she still didn’t have close to the amount of money she needed to do the testing. Thankfully, someone came to the rescue—”Law and Order SVU’s” Mariska Hargitay.
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How Mariska Hargitay Helped a Real-life Prosecutor Solve Sex Crimes
Worthy revealed on the show that she met Hargitay in the Capitol. Both women were to testify before Congress on national rape kit reform. Before then, Hargitay was already deep into advocacy for survivors of sexual assault through her nonprofit, Joyful Heart Foundation. It was after their testimony that Worthy asked Hargitay for help.
“After we were finished testifying, I kind of grabbed her and asked her to come to Detroit to help us,” Worthy narrated. “She said she would, and she did.”
“We had a breakfast where we invited legislators who were not returning my calls,” she recalled. “She shows up and took pictures with all of them. And I am telling you that legislation that helped us crack this problem in Michigan sailed through.”
After more than a decade of fundraising and advocacy, Worthy was finally able to test all the kits. According to Canning, the tests made it possible for them to solve over 5,000 sex crimes and identify 22 serial rapists.
The women’s efforts haven’t gone unnoticed. “It’s having a ripple effect across the country,” Canning continued. “It’s making changes everywhere, for police departments, for prosecutors’ offices.
Interestingly, Hargitay produced an HBO documentary titled “I Am Evidence.” In the 2018 work, which she also appeared in, she explained her and Worthy’s efforts to help rape victims find justice.
In the documentary, Mariska Hargitay stated, “A lot of people just don’t know about this problem, and I was one of those people…then you meet people like Kym Worthy, and you see what she’s doing. You sort of can’t help but say, ‘What am I doing?’”
Her Partners Testify of Her Passion
Mariska Hargitay also received commendation from her co-partners in the project, Trish Adlesic and Geeta Gandbhir. They spoke about her level of commitment in making the film a success and as a result, giving Worthy’s work the attention it deserves.
“She is such an extraordinary voice in this. She used every bit of her power to shed light on the darkness around sexual assault and domestic violence and child abuse,” Adlesic said.
According to Gandbhir, Mariska Hargitay “Watched the film over and over and over and made sure everything was done right. A lot of people in her position might not be so hands-on, but she was very invested and gave a lot of herself.”
Another Time Mariska Hargitay Played Cop
More recently, a witness narrated to a journalist how Mariska Hargitay helped the police while on set. While she filmed an episode of “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit” episode 25, a little girl ran to her for help, believing she was a cop. The girl had likely seen the Emmy Award-winning actress’s badge, which was part of her outfit.
The girl had lost her mother in a nearby playground and needed help in reuniting with her. Hargitay paused the production for about 20 minutes to help out. She was able to get the kid back to her mother and even stayed to console them both.
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Is Mariska Hargitay a Billionaire?
Even though Mariska Hargitay hasn’t reached billionaire status just yet, her career has been pretty financially rewarding. Reports show that her 2024 estimated net worth is $100 million.
Her appearance in “Law and Order: SVU” has played a major role. She has remained a household name and maintained her role as Detective Olivia Benson since 1999. With 25 seasons on the screen, the project has become one of the longest-running TV series to ever grace television.
Are All Three of Mariska Hargitay’s Children Adopted?
Mariska Hargitay tied the knot with Peter Hermann in August 2004. Since then, the pair have enjoyed a blissful marriage alongside three amazing kids. The union produced their first son, August Miklos Hermann, in 2006.
Later on, they adopted a daughter, Amaya Josephine Hermann, and their last son, Andrew Nicolas Hermann. Mariska Hargitay is proud of her family and the strong bond they’ve created amongst one another.
When she turned 60 in February 2024. The three kids and her husband threw her a party. “Our family is so perfect, or at least perfect for me,” she told journalists in 2018. “Together, we’re just this whole, happy, joyful, chaotic, crazy unit. I’ve never known anything more right,” she added.
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