Mariska Hargitay turned the 2026 Emmy Awards into a touching family moment before she ever stepped onstage as host. The Law & Order: Special Victims Unit star walked the red carpet with husband Peter Hermann and their three children, August, Amaya, and Andrew, making the big night a true family affair.
According to Entertainment Weekly, Mariska Hargitay’s Emmy appearance carried an extra layer of meaning. Hargitay and daughter Amaya arrived in nearly matching sparkling red gowns inspired by Hargitay’s late mother, 1950s movie star Jayne Mansfield. The tribute connected three generations of the family through one glamorous Hollywood look.
Mariska Hargitay Honored Jayne Mansfield At The 2026 Emmys
A matching moment for #Emmys host Mariska Hargitay and daughter Amaya ❤️ pic.twitter.com/tXajGqd3c4
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) September 14, 2026
Hargitay and 15-year-old Amaya wore red Monse gowns decorated with sequins and feathers, pairing the dresses with matching red heels. Their outfits drew clear inspiration from the ruby-colored gown Mansfield wore in the 1956 musical The Girl Can’t Help It. Hermann and sons August and Andrew completed the family appearance in classic black tuxedos.
The fashion choice also continued a pattern for Hargitay, who has revisited her mother’s style several times throughout her career. More recently, she recreated several Mansfield-inspired looks while promoting My Mom Jayne, the deeply personal documentary she directed about her mother’s life, fame, and legacy. Wearing another Mansfield-inspired look at television’s biggest celebration gave the red carpet moment even more emotional weight.
Her Emmy Night Came After Two Wins for ‘My Mom Jayne.’
The tribute felt especially fitting because Hargitay entered the main Emmy ceremony already celebrating major recognition for my mom, Jayne. At the Creative Arts Emmys, she won Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program, while the film itself earned Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special. Mansfield died in a 1967 car crash at age 34, when Hargitay was a young child.
Hargitay has built her own remarkable television legacy through 27 seasons as Olivia Benson on SVU, earning eight Emmy nominations and one acting win along the way. Yet this evening at the 2026 Emmys for Mariska Hargitay looked beyond her own career. By walking beside Amaya in a dress that echoed Mansfield’s Old Hollywood glamour, she transformed a red carpet appearance into a quiet celebration of mother, daughter, and granddaughter—and a stylish reminder of a family legacy that continues across generations.
