Mariska Hargitay & Chris Meloni's Latest Red Carpet Reunion Was So Cheeky—Literally
Another incredible Bensler moment for the books, ladies and gentlemen.
With over two decades on air, the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit cast is truly thick as thieves. As Captain Olivia Benson, Mariska Hargitay has been at the center of countless intense SVU episodes with the NYPD unit's fearless detectives by her side. In real life, the actors behind all the SVU drama are just as supportive.
Beyond playing Benson's partner Elliot Stabler on SVU for many years, Chris Meloni and Hargitay have become true friends who show up for one another and make each other laugh. Hargitay also built lasting bonds with Kelli Giddish once she joined the cast as Detective Amanda Rollins. Meanwhile, Hargitay and Ice T go way back, as the rapper has been on SVU playing Sergeant Fin Tutulola since Season 2.
From funny moments to what they admire about each other, Mariska Hargitay and the Law & Order: SVU cast could teach a masterclass on friendship. Read on to revisit some of Hargitay's most memorable moments with her SVU co-stars.
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Mariska Hargitay got a little cheeky with her BFF Chris Meloni
Hargitay's friendship with Meloni dates back to 1999 when Law & Order: SVU first premiered on NBC, and it's been full of silly and sweet moments ever since. For instance, at the premiere of Hargitay's documentary My Mom Jayne in June 2025, the SVU star was spotted quickly tapping Meloni's tush as they posed for photos on the red carpet.
"MARISKA I SAW THAT!" one fan wrote on X about the cheeky moment, while another added, "She is ALL OF US!!!"
As fans noticed, Meloni having no reaction to the little smack on his behind solidified this as yet another Bensler moment for the books. "And he didn't flinch," one more commented. "He don’t care," another chimed in.
Hargitay and Meloni have been known to hold hands when they're out and about, and Hargitay has even joked that it hurts to hug Meloni because of his big muscles. (Turns out, only a pack of puppies can take Meloni down.)
The besties truly have a beautiful sibling-like bond, which Hargitay felt when they first met. "I knew quickly that we had this kind of magical chemistry," Hargitay shared with Willie Geist during a Sunday Sitdown on TODAY in 2025. "Chris and I are polar opposites in terms of who we are as people. And yet, there was this yin-yang. So when they paired us, I was like, 'Oh, this is done.'"
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After all these years, Hargitay told NBC Insider that her friendship with Meloni has remained strong and, beyond meeting up for rooftop cocktails, they also text each other often. “I’m just so grateful for the relationship and for the friendship,” she said in May 2024. “It’s sacred on and off the screen, so it’s a beautiful, beautiful friendship.”
Not only have they built this admirable friendship, Hargitay and Meloni's families have even hosted joint parties together and often get together for fun social outings. Like in April 2025 when Meloni and his wife Sherman Williams sat court side at a Knicks game with Hargitay and her son August, the actress' oldest of three children she shares with husband Peter Hermann.
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The Law & Order: SVU cast supported Mariska Hargitay at the premiere of My Mom Jayne
Several of Mariska Hargitay's Law & Order: SVU cast members — both past and present — attended the premiere of her documentary, My Mom Jayne, at the 2025 Tribeca Festival at Carnegie Hall. Hargitay smiled ear-to-ear as she posed with Meloni, Giddish, Ice, T, Ellen Burstyn, Aimé Donna Kelly, Kevin Kane, Peter Scanavino, Danny Pino, and more. And that's not all; more stars, including Cher, Jamie Lee Curtis, Debra Messing, Brooke Shields, Amy Schumer, and Liam Neeson, also attended to show their support for the SVU star on her big night.
Premiering on June 27, Hargitay has described her documentary My Mom Jayne as a “labor of love and longing" that brought her closer to her late mother's legacy. “Reclaiming our family story, that is what this is about for me,” she explains in the trailer. “Because she’s a part of me. I want to know her as Jayne — my mom, Jayne."
Kelli Giddish is "so proud" of her friend Mariska Hargitay
After joining forces as Rollins and Benson on Law & Order: SVU, Hargitay and Giddish's friendship has grown into an unbreakable bond. And with Giddish returning as a series regular for Season 27, the besties will reunite on-screen once SVU premieres on NBC in fall 2025.
Even with an on-set hiatus, the SVU stars haven't missed a beat and have remained close off-screen. Just recently, Hargitay and Giddish looked so happy at a Knicks game together and have supported each other's work. After attending the premiere of Hargitay's documentary, My Mom Jayne, Giddish gushed about her friend. "So proud to call Mariska my friend and celebrate her exquisite work in this film to the fullest," Giddish wrote on Instagram.
In 2024, Hargitay and Giddish reunited for a meaningful event in honor of the Joyful Heart Foundation, an organization founded by Hargitay to support survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse.
With years of solid friendship behind them, it's clear they enjoy every minute together on and off screen. "Kelli is my favorite actor to work with," Hargitay told Variety. "Kelli is my heart...That relationship was one of the most powerful relationships in television because you saw these two badass women, so flawed and so there for each other."
RELATED: Are Ice T and Kelli Giddish Friends in Real Life?
Mariska Hargitay's friendship with Ice T is over 20 years in the making
After working together on Law & Order: SVU for over two decades, Hargitay and Ice T have a strong friendship built on support, lifting each other up, and honesty. In one especially candid funny moment, Ice T admitted thinking Hargitay was a "nice-looking lady" when they first met in the early 2000s. And through the years, Hargitay has described the rapper as a "philosopher king" who's always positive.
"I've never seen in 20 years this man come to work in a bad mood, not be grateful, always ready to work, always ready. He's never complained! I've never heard him complain," Hargitay said on Late Night with Seth Meyers. "I think [Ice T's] gift is that he has the ability, no matter what we're talking about, to distill it down to its purest essence."
Hargitay added that she loves listening to Ice T's music. "We share everything," she said. "He's so cute, he's like a little kid, he's like, 'Look at my new video!' or 'Listen to my new song!'"
As for Ice T, he appreciates Hargitay's sense of humor that fans don't get to see on NBC's long-running crime drama. "I watch her on television and I'm like, 'Wow, she's dead serious.' But behind the scenes, she's crazy. She's fun to be with, nothing but jokes," Ice T told Seth Meyers. "Not even jokes we can tell on television."
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