Investigating Romance! Meet the ‘SVU’ Stars’ Real-Life Loves
Fans have gotten to know Mariska Hargitay, Ice-T, and more stars quite well over the years via the long-running NBC procedural Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Over the past 27 seasons — the 28th is currently airing — viewers have been just as interested in the personal lives of Olivia Benson and the SVU crew as the cases they solve. But what about the actors‘ lives outside of work?
Since the show has been going on for so long, there’s a solid chance you’ve already done your own investigating into the SVU cast’s relationships. After all, many of them have been married for years and have started families. Hargitay and Kelli Giddish even found their respective real-life romances on set. But what are the latest updates on the couples? And what’s the relationship statuses of the newer additions to the cast? Swooon has all the answers below.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Season 28, Thursdays, 9/8c, NBC
Mariska Hargitay
Let’s be honest, when you think of SVU, your mind immediately goes to detective-turned-captain Olivia Benson. The only original character and cast member that has been there since its 1999 inception, it’s no surprise that Hargitay found her husband, actor Peter Hermann, on the show. She met her love on the set of Season 3, which introduced Hermann as defense attorney Trevor Langan.
Hargitay and her future husband went on their first date after filming wrapped in 2002. Hermann invited her to join him at a church service. Hargitay recalled on TODAY, “I just started sobbing… Peter thought I was crying because I was so moved by the service. No, it was because I was just overwhelmed, realizing he was the one.”
Turns out, she was right. They tied the knot just two years after they started dating. Hargitay and Hermann celebrated their 20-year anniversary in 2024. The couple have three children together: August Miklos Friedrich, Amaya Josephine, and Andrew Nicolas. August was born in 2006. Both Amaya and Andrew were adopted in 2011.
Their kids have stepped into the spotlight more in recent months, with the entire family supporting Hargitay while she promoted her 2025 film My Mom Jayne and hosted the 2026 Emmys.
Ice-T
Sergeant Fin Tutuola actor Ice-T and Coco Austin have been proud to boast about their romantic connection since the beginning. They tied the knot in 2001 just a few months after they started to date. In 2011, the happily wedded couple had a reality TV series, Ice Loves Coco, that showcased their playful, loving, and occasionally unconventional lives. It ran for three seasons.
In 2015, they welcomed their daughter, Chanel Nicole Marrow, who walked the New York Fashion Week runway in 2026. Ice-T also has two children from previous relationships: daughter Letesha Marrow and son Tracy Marrow Jr. Letesha was born in 1976 when Ice-T was in a relationship with his high school girlfriend, Adrienne. Tracy came along in 1991 when he was with now-ex Darlene Ortiz.
Peter Scanavino
Peter Scanavino and his wife, Lisha Bai, occasionally showcase a glimpse of their happy relationship in public. In July 2021, Scanavino took to X to celebrate a decade of marriage. He lovingly said, “Meeting Lisha is the best thing that ever happened to me. Happy anniversary!!”
The actor, who plays A.D.A Sonny Carisi Jr. in SVU, got married in 2011. Uplifting each other’s artistic pursuits, the couple both channel their passions differently, with Bai working in the visual arts. Bai’s pieces have appeared in exhibitions in New York, London, and San Fransisco. The two share three kids together. They welcomed their first child, Sid, around 2012 or 2013. Their second son, Leo, was born in 2016.
Scanavino has kept them and his third child largely out of the public eye, though he has spoken about drawing from real experience when his SVU character became a dad. “I think me personally, I’m a bit more experienced as a father than Carisi, so it’s almost kind of nice to revisit that part of myself where you have a young, not a baby anymore, but 2-year-old, 1-year-old that you’re dealing with and just remembering what that was like for me, the kind of excitement and fear and am I doing things correctly?” he told People in 2024.
Kevin Kane
Kevin Kane and his wife, Francis Benhamou, met each other while doing what they love: acting. The Det. Terry Bruno actor and Benhamou started dating after both working on the movie I’m Not Me in 2011. Since marrying in 2017, Kane showcases Benhamou’s accomplishments on his social media platforms, and Benhamou frequently shows her husband love online, too. The two share one daughter together.
Kelli Giddish
Detective Amanda Rollins may be married to Carisi, but actress Kelli Giddish has a real-life romance. She tied the knot with Beau Richards in 2021 after he worked as her driver on the SVU set.
“[He’s] just one of those people that you sit beside and you’re like, ‘I’m fine being completely quiet and I’m just comfortable,'” Giddish told People of her husband. “And he drove me for a while, and we became friends, and then all of a sudden we were like, ‘Wait a minute, I miss you when I don’t see you.'”
The actress and Richards share one son, Oldie, who was born in 2023. “[Beau’s] such a great father, such a great stepfather,” Giddish added. Giddish shares sons Ludo and Charlie with her businessman ex-husband, Lawrence Faulborn.
Aimé Donna Kelly
Newer SVU star Aimé Donna Kelly, who plays Captain Renee Curry, hasn’t shared any details about her romantic life publicly.
Corey Cott
Corey Cott, aka Detective Jake Griffin, is off the market. He’s been married to Meghan Woollard since 2012, after meeting as students at Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama. They got engaged while they were still in school, per Live With Kelly and Mark. Cott, who now shares three sons with his wife, often shares photos of Woollard on social media.
