Mariska Hargitay is known for her exceptional role as Olivia Benson in the popular series, Law and Order: SVU. The talented actress is also a mother to her three kids: August, Amaya, and Andrew, who she shares with her husband, Peter Hermann.
In an interview with People, Mariska talks about her motherhood journey and how it has affected her. “The thing that’s made me a better parent is my kids. Because they taught me to really listen,” Mariska said as she appreciated Peter for being supportive, “My husband is my North Star, and my kids are my teachers, Peter and I, we’re so different that it’s been amazing how we complement each other. He knows everything I don’t.”
Mariska’s journey to motherhood
Mariska and Peter got married in 2004 and in 2006, they welcomed their first child, August Miklos Hermann. Five years later, the couple adopted their daughter, Amaya Josephine Hermann in 2011. Later that year, they decided to expand their family by adopting their third child, Andrew Nicholas Hermann.
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Mariska absolutely loves being a mother and her family is everything to her. She gushed to People in 2018, “Our family is so perfect, or at least perfect for me. Together we’re just this whole, happy, joyful, chaotic, crazy unit. I’ve never known anything that was more right.”
August Miklos Hermann
In an interview with Self Magazine in 2007, Mariska described how excited she was when she found out she was pregnant with August, “Nobody wanted to be pregnant more than me. From the minute I found out, I was wearing full-on maternity pants. My stomach was totally flat, mind you, but I was just so excited.”
However, Mariska was diagnosed with gestational diabetes in her third trimester because she ate a lot to cope with her 15-hour work days on the set of Law and Order. “I was overwhelmed by my lack of energy. All I could do to survive was to eat,’’ she told Self Magazine in 2007. ”First time pregnant, you’re like, I gotta eat more! I have to make sure he has enough of every single food group! I did get into eating too much. This pregnancy was really hard for me at the end. I wasn’t mobile.”
Also, Mariska revealed that she missed out on doing a lot of things for August during childhood due to her time-demanding career. “I get jealous that other people get to take August to school and pick him up. It’s hard for me to go to his school and not know all the parents,” she continued. “They all know one another and it’s a community. I can’t always be a part of that. You can’t have everything, though.”
August is in his teenage years now and Mariska doesn’t hesitate to shower him with love and praise. He features on her mom’s social media posts regularly.
Amaya Josephine Hermann
Years after having August, Mariska and Peter wished to have more children but they were worried about her health issues. The couple opted for adoption and on April 7, 2011, they adopted Amaya Josephine from Africa after attending her birth. “Peter and I held her, and then the birth mother and I hugged for a long time,” Mariska talked about Amaya’s delivery in an interview with Good Housekeeping in 2012. “That was profound. That was one of the most meaningful moments I’ve ever had in my life.”
Also, Mariska told People about how she and her husband were intentional in how they chose to expand their family, “We talked a lot about mixed-race adoptions, and we are very excited that we are now a multi-racial family. We’re just so happy she’s here.”
Andrew Nicholas Hermann
A few months after the couple brought home Amaya, they adopted their son Andrew Nicholas who was born preterm in October 2011. The lovers were mourning a friend whose name was Andrew when their lawyer called informing them of a child who needed a home.
“It was like…a miracle. And I don’t use that word lightly. I’ve never made a bigger decision so quickly,” Marissa explained. “The whole thing happened in a total of two days.” The couple decided to name their second son Andrew, after their friend who had passed.