Mariska Hargitay On 1st Thing She Tells Abuse Survivors And Important Reason Why

Mariska Hargitay has shown her nurturing nature and empathy as the lead star on “Law & Order: SVU” and as a mother to three children, but those qualities reach far beyond those closest to her.

Her global prominence from her role as Olivia Benson has made her a safe harbor, both on screen and off, for victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse.

The actor is celebrating 20 years of her Joyful Heart Foundation, which she founded not only to support those victims, but to transform how society responds to the issues associated with them. She’s also teamed up with Purina, in partnership with the RedRover nonprofit, on the brand’s Purple Leash Project, which helps domestic violence shelters across the U.S. become pet-friendly.

Hargitay opens up in an interview with TODAY.com on Purple Thursday, a significant day of awareness during Domestic Violence Awareness Month, about the importance of shining a light on these issues, her close bond with her animals and the personal milestones she’s celebrating this year.

Fans of the “SVU” star know one of her favorite personal mottos is “I decide,” and survivors of abuse and domestic violence can feel their ability to make decisions is taken away.

“I think all of us have things to reclaim,” Hargitay says, adding she named her foundation Joyful Heart “for a reason.”

“The foundation is about supporting survivors, but also reclaiming ourselves before the assault or the violence happened, reclaiming that ‘before’ and not letting something define you but knowing that it’s a thing that happened and it is not who you are,” she explains. “It’s something that a perpetrator did to you. And so, ‘I decide’ is also, ‘I decide what my future will be, and I decide that I will bring joy back into my life and I will heal from this.’”

Hargitay was interested in the Purple Leash Project because the statistics involving domestic abuse survivors and their pets stunned her. Nearly half of survivors delay leaving an abusive situation because they cannot take their pets with them, and less than 20% of domestic violence shelters in the U.S. accept pets, according to Purina.

“So many people’s animals are truly their lifelines, and they have almost a life-saving quality. … You can’t even put into words, I think, the relationship between a person and their animal,” Hargitay says.

She has two animals of her own at home: a dog, Kaia, and a cat, Karma.

“I’m so close with my animals,” Hargitay explains.

“There’s just a deep connection that animals have. They know when you’re sick, they know when you’re upset, they are happy to see you in a way that nobody else is,” she adds, laughing.

“They’re such a huge part of a survivor’s sense of safety because we know that a survivor’s healing journey, right, even after the abuse has stopped, we know that it can last for years and even decades, depending on the support that they get,” she continues. “But we also know that animal companions are often a huge part of a survivor’s sense of safety and comfort: two of the most important ingredients in healing.” 

Hargitay notes there are “so many psychological, physical and systemic barriers for abuse survivors to achieve safety.”

“Just having to decide between their own safety and the safety of their pets just shouldn’t be one of them,” she says.

When it comes to supporting survivors of abuse, domestic violence or sexual assault, Hargitay says the first thing she tells them is: “Talk about it.”

“Get the taboo off the survivor and put it on the perpetrator where it belongs,” she explains. “The stigma belongs on the perpetrator.”

“The way we talk about it is the way we shed light on it,” Hargitay adds. “We bring it out into the conversation because then it brings a survivor out of isolation. And that is one of the hardest parts about being a survivor, is isolation.”

One topic the activist has brought into public conversation is spreading awareness about the issues surrounding sexual violence through her Joyful Heart Foundation, a task that initially seemed “impossible.”