Mariska Hargitay
Credit - Craig Barritt—Town & Country/Getty Images
To millions of TV viewers, Mariska Hargitay is Olivia Benson, the tough but compassionate NYPD captain who has been tackling crimes for the past 26 years on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Away from the cameras, Hargitay channels that same fierce dedication into her real-world role as a powerful advocate for survivors of sexual assault.
Hargitay's Joyful Heart Foundation, which she launched in 2004, focuses on changing the way society responds to survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse through education, advocacy, and strategic grants. Since 2010, it has prioritized tackling the vast backlog of untested rape kits in the U.S.—crucial DNA evidence that is often left unprocessed, which can delay justice and potentially allow repeat offenders to remain free. Through its End the Backlog campaign, the foundation has identified tens of thousands of untested kits, funded training to clear the backlog, and driven policy changes. Its six pillars of reform—which include mandating statewide kit tracking, testing timelines, and victim notifications—have now been fully adopted by 21 states and the District of Columbia, with 11 others close behind.
In 2024, Hargitay shared a more personal connection to her foundation's work. In an essay published by People, Hargitay revealed that she had been raped by a then-friend when she was in her 30s—a fact that took her decades to come to terms with. 'I couldn't process it,' she wrote. 'I was building Joyful Heart on the outside so I could do the work on the inside.'
Contact us at letters@time.com.
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