Peter Hermann Helped Mariska Hargitay Confront Her Deepest Trauma

Mariska Hargitay, who millions know as the indomitable Detective Olivia Benson on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," recently shared for the first time one of the most private and painful chapters of her own life. In a raw and tearful conversation, she shared that her husband, actor Peter Hermann, had a critical role in her facing being raped in her 30s, a trauma she had buried so deep for decades.

Hargitay acknowledged, "So many people blame themselves," she said on an episode of the Call Her Daddy podcast on June 25. "Myself included." It was all part of her identity, her brand, and if she couldn't intellectually outthink her way out of the attack, a tactic that had always served as a kind of armor in her personal life, what did that mean for the rest of her? " couldn't process that I couldn't get out of it," she said. "That just lived in me."

However, her union with Peter Hermann brought another form of strength, the kind of courage rooted in exposure, safety, and unconditional support. Hargitay said she had lived in denial for years before summoning the courage to tell her husband about the attack. It was that conversation which ultimately became a key turning point in her healing process.

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Her husband Hermann, who has been by her side since they married in 2004, didn't react with disbelief or judgment but with empathy and grace. His answer helped to peel away some of the internalized shame Hargitay had been carrying. "Then it got to the point where it just became so clear what happened," she said, the fog of self-blame finally lifting when she confronted the truth with someone who loved her through the telling of it.

Hargitay's own experience is a powerful reminder that healing from trauma isn't a solitary journey. At times, it's the love and compassion of a close person, a partner, or a friend that enables survivors to view their pain clearly and to hold it without fear. By speaking up, Mariska Hargitay not only reclaimed her voice but also gave hope to countless others who might still be suffering in silence. And she was joined by Peter Hermann to demonstrate that healing is possible in one honest conversation about the hopes and fears in our own heads.