Law & Order: SVUstar Mariska Hargitay’s husband Peter Hermann surprised the network TV star with a heartwarming gift that has ties to memories of her mother. Hargitay’s mother, Hollywood icon Jayne Mansfield, died in a traffic collision when Hargitay was just three years old.
The actress appeared in and directed the 2025 documentaryMy Mom Jayneto find out more about her mother. At the conclusion of the documentary, Hermann, whoappeared inSVUin a recurring role as Trevor Langan,surprised his wife with a bittersweet gift that brought memories flooding back.
PerSwooon(viaMy Mom Jayne), Hermann shocked his wife and former co-star by presenting her with her mother’s grand piano that had remained in the Mansfield home following her death. After singer Engelbert Humperdinck bought the home, he kept the piano, and Hermann was able to convince the crooner to part with it, and revealed it to an emotional Hargitay at the conclusion of the documentary.
What This Means For Hargitay’s Connection With Her Mother
It Was A Touching End To The Documentary & Helps Keep Her Mother’s Memory Alive
This was a touching and emotional gift for Hargitay to receive at theconclusion ofMy Mom Jayne, and one that will help her to feel more connected to her mother. Being that she was so young when Mansfield died, it is very likely she remembers very little of her time with her mother.
However, the fact that Mansfield was a talented piano player and had this grand piano in her mansion when married to Mickey Hargitay, means this would likely have factored into some of Hargitay’s earliest core memories.
Having the piano back in her possession after all this time means that she has that emotional and spiritual link to her mother that will be with her forever. It is a touching and sentimental gift for the actress, and one that her tearful reaction shows is something she has longed for.
This is a gift that is going to provide her with a tangible link to who her mother was, and the things that she enjoyed. It’s a great way to feel her mother’s presence in her life and home, and might even encourage her to play the piano more, to feel a musical connection to Mansfield too.
Our Take On Hermann’s Gift
It Was The Perfect End To The Documentary
The gift was the perfect way to end the documentary, and gave a satisfactory narrative conclusion to a bittersweet story that had tragic beginnings. Hargitay’s experiences as a child would have been difficult without her mother, and while this is not the same as getting her mom back, it’s a start.
Hargitay is one of the biggest stars on network TV, and there’s a good chance her role as Olivia Benson has incorporated some of her tragic childhood. She will next appear on-screen in the upcomingLaw & Order: SVUseason 27, and it will be interesting to see if this has any bearing on her performance.
Source: viaSwooon
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
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Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is a television series that premiered in 1999. Set in the criminal justice system of New York City, it follows an elite team of detectives who investigate sexually-based offenses, focusing on their efforts to solve complex cases and seek justice for victims.
