Mariska Hargitay Crashes Wedding While Filming ‘Law & Order: SVU’ (PHOTO)

Dan Clarendon October 3, 2026, 1:54 pm

Mariska Hargitay filming 'Law & Order: Special Victims Unit' in New York City on October 1, 2026 — Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images

What To Know

Mariska Hargitay, while filming Law & Order: SVU in Manhattan, spontaneously joined a couple’s wedding photos dressed as her character, Capt. Olivia Benson.
This is not the first time Hargitay has delighted newlyweds with a surprise appearance, having done so previously in 2024.
The upcoming 28th season of SVU will feature a Jalen Brunson cameo, Christopher Meloni’s return for the 600th episode, and storylines exploring Capt. Benson’s evolving pursuit of justice.

Mariska Harigtay is a Law & Order: Special Victims Unit star, an award-winning documentarian, a Broadway headliner, a New York Knicks superfan, an Emmys host — and now, a wedding crasher.

Hargitay was filming an SVU scene outside the New York County Supreme Court in Manhattan on Thursday, October 1 — and dressed in character as Capt. Olivia Benson — when she joined an unidentified couple in their wedding day portraits, according to People. In snapshots from the photobombing moment, Hargitay excitedly pointed to the bride and groom.

As People noted, the Emmy-winning actor and director did the same in 2024, posing with another bride and groom on their wedding day. As seen in footage Splash News shared on TikTok, that happy couple told Hargitay they had just gotten married. “Oh, my God. Congratulations!” she exclaimed. “I’m your wedding present!”

Mariska Hargitay posing with newlyweds in New York City on October 1, 2026

Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images

Hargitay and her SVU colleagues are busy filming the NBC drama’s 28th season, which will feature a Jalen Brunson cameo, a Christopher Meloni return for Episode No. 600, and a Benson who’s fed up with the system.

'Law & Order: SVU' Photos: See J. Smith-Cameron & New ADA in Season 28 Premiere

“What I got interested in this season was somewhat inspired by the case that we are doing in the first episode, which is a case that really highlights as far as we have come in the investigation of sex crimes and in how we, as a society, view sexual assault and how we define sexual assault; in some ways, we’re still back 30 years ago,” showrunner Michele Fazekas previously told TV Insider. “I wanted to see what [Hargitay’s character] does with that: How does Benson push against her own boundaries?

Fazekas added, “When she was partnered with Stabler [Meloni], Stabler sort of dealt with that frustration and he would rough up a suspect. Obviously, Benson’s not going to do that, but how does Benson push further to get justice and even sort of challenge her own ideas of what is ethical and what is the right thing to do? How far will she go to get justice?”

Law & Order: SVU, Season 28 Premiere, Thursday, October 8, 9/8c, NBC