Mariska Hargitay spoke out for victims of sexual assault as she helped shine a light on the problem at the Empire State Building in New York City Friday.
The Law and Order: SVU actress and activist, 60, whose Joyful Heart Foundation received a generous donation from Taylor Swift earlier this week, spoke of the work she has done for some 20 years in an impassioned speech before throwing the switch.
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
‘When I first encountered the country’s sexual assault and domestic violence statistics on SVU, my head just exploded,’ said the actress who has starred as detective and now Captain Olivia Benson on the hit police show for a quarter century.
She noted there are an average of 463,634 sexual assault and rape victims 12 and older in the US every year, emphasizing ‘that’s almost half a million victims each year.
Mariska Hargitay, 60, spoke out for victims of sexual assault as she helped shine a light on the problem at the Empire State Building in New York City Friday. The building was not damaged in the 4.7 earthquake that shook parts of New York and New Jersey
The Law and Order: SVU actress and activist, 60, who created Joyful Heart Foundation, spoke of the work she has done for some 20 years in an impassioned speech before throwing the switch to light up the iconic building
When she first learned the staggering statistic, the Emmy winner said she thought ‘how can it be that everyone is not talking about this, and I still feel that way.’
‘The landscape around these issues has certainly changed, that God,’ she said, adding, ‘I couldn’t be more proud of the work that Joyful Heart has done and is doing currently, and will do, but the statistics persist. The violence persists and the suffering persists.’
She compared the strength and resilience of the the New York icon, which was hit with a 4.8 magnitude earthquake Friday, to the strength and resilience of victims of sexual violence.
The historic landmark was undamaged, and New York police reported no major incidents as a result of the temblor.
‘I want the light of our attention, of our compassion, or our desire for change, and most of all, our commitment to dismantling the systems that make this violence possible.’
One of the programs at the Joyful Heart Foundation is called Defining Manhood for the Next Generation which ‘explores young men’s attitudes around gender roles, masculinity, the characteristics of “good men,” and the male role models who influence these views.’
She grew emotional as she accepted the opportunity to light up the Empire State Building in Joyful Heart’s colors, blue and green, ‘on behalf of all the survivors that I carry in my heart… to shed this beautiful and vital and urgent light on these issues.’
The veteran actress was joined by two of her three children August, 17, and Amaya, 12, in lighting up the building.
‘When I first encountered the country’s sexual assault and domestic violence statistics on SVU, my head just exploded,’ said the actress who has starred as Olivia Benson on the hit police show for a quarter century, noting there nearly half a million victim age 12+ in the US annually
She grew emotional as she accepted the opportunity to light up the Empire State Building in Joyful Heart’s colors, blue and green, ‘on behalf of all the survivors that I carry in my heart… to shed this beautiful and vital and urgent light on these issues’
Hargitay was joined by two of her children, Amaya 12, and August 10. She shares them and younger brother Andrew, 11 with husband Peter Hermann, 56. The former model looked sophisticated in a blue body con dress with a V-neck and 3/4 length sleeves
She shares them, and younger brother Andrew, 11, with her husband Peter Hermann, 56.
The former model looked sophisticated in a blue body con dress with a V-neck and 3/4 length sleeves.
She stepped out in taupe toned pumps and accessorized with stacked necklaces, including a blue stone pendant.
![The Joyful Heart Foundation helps focuses on educational programs including those designed to 'dismantle the systems that make [sexual] violence possible'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/05/22/83292187-13277233-The_Joyful_Heart_Foundation_helps_focuses_on_educational_program-a-168_1712352234211.jpg)
The Joyful Heart Foundation helps focuses on educational programs including those designed to ‘dismantle the systems that make [sexual] violence possible’
Before the ceremony, the veteran actress posed for some photos on the deck of the NYC landmark, covering up her stunning blue dress with a cream toned wool coat
The coat highlighted the actress’ warm complexion. Her shoulder length brown hair was styled in loose curls and she wore camera ready makeup with a strong red lip
The Law and Order: Organized Crime actress also posted for photos on the deck, covering up in a cream toned wool coat, which highlighted her warm complexion.
Her shoulder length brown hair was styled in loose curls and she wore camera ready makeup with a strong red lip.
Earlier this year, the star opened up about her own sexual assault, revealing that a man she thought was a friend raped her when she was in her 30s.
In an essay in People last year, she wrote that working with her foundation helped her ‘see what healing could look like.’