Mariska Hargitay Cuddles Grown Up Daughter Amaya In Adorable Rare Photo Years After Actress Struggled With Adoption

Jul 17, 2023

Mariska Hargitay is a famed actress known for her leading role as Detective Olivia Benson in NBC's hit television series “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” As the daughter of bodybuilder and actor Mickey Hargitay and actress Jayne Mansfield, acting was in her blood. She made her film debut in 1985 when she starred as Donna in the horror-comedy film "Ghoulies." Hargitay's small-screen career is prolific compared to her big-screen appearances. The "Law& Order: Special Victims Unit" star's recurring role in "ER" jump-started her fame and ultimately led her to her iconic role as Olivia Benson.

Hargitay took a different approach to her career than her mother, who branded herself as a sex symbol. Instead, the rising star sought roles that highlighted strong, confident women. The award-winning actress told People that she also performed her own stunts along with acting in the hit series. Hargitay's dedication and hard work paid off. According to Screen Rant, Hargitay is the longest-running prime-time live-action character of all time.

Hargitay met her husband Peter Hermann while on the set of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit." The couple wed in 2004 and welcomed a baby boy named August in 2006. Hargitay was 42 when she got pregnant with her son. Hargitay's age negatively impacted her pregnancy; she was uncertain about having another child after giving birth to August. So the couple turned to adoption to create the family of their dreams. 

Hargitay’s struggle with parenting is something that many of her fans know about. This is why it was heartwarming to see that her adopted daughter, Amaya, is all grown up, as seen in a rare family photo that one of Hargitay’s friends posted on social media. Keep on reading to learn more about Amaya and Hargitay’s adoption journey. 

Although Hargitay loved being pregnant, during her last trimester, she developed gestational diabetes. According to Mayo Clinic, Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that occurs only during pregnancy. Still, it affects women over the age of 35 at a higher rate.

In an interview with People, the "Leaving Las Vegas" star recalled how hard her pregnancy was during the last stage due to the illness. 

"This pregnancy was really hard for me at the end," she said. "I wasn't mobile."

Although Hargitay and Hermann envisioned having a large family, the actress told Good Housekeeping that they feared she wouldn't be able to get pregnant again and sought out adoption.

From then, they contacted an “intuitive” adoption lawyer, and they began their adoption journey eventually. The journey wasn’t a simple one as it started with a comprehensive five-hour home visit and even some false starts in some cases. 

“There were several cases that didn't work out. A lot of different kinds of complications. Then, after disappointments, came the big hope — which ended up being dashed,” she recalled to the publication. “While it may be ironic, the hardest disappointment was also the greatest moment, in terms of what it means to help build a family."

At one point during the process, Hargitay and Hermann almost got into the hospital and even held the newborn baby that was supposed to be for them, when in a blink of an eye, something happened. 

"The birth mother changed her mind. It was nothing short of devastating,” she tearily recalled to the outlet. "But … it was probably the greatest, happiest ending. I mean, it was so painful for us, but it was deeply joyful and deeply right for her."

Shortly after their adoption fell through, Hargitay and Hermann's lawyer reached out to them with another woman expecting a baby. The Primetime Emmy-winning actress recalled being “blown away” by the prospective birth mother through a phone call.

However, the couple was quite skeptical at first because of the heartbreak they suffered in the first potential adoption. Thankfully, the mother assured Hargitay and told her that she is this baby’s mother. Hargitay recalled that she cried after hearing the reassurance. 

It was also a non-issue for the mother and for the Hargitay-Hermann family to welcome an African-American child. 

"We were excited to have a multiracial family because that's what the world is, and we want our family to reflect a realistic microcosm of the world."

Hermann shared with People Magazine what he thought of adding more people to their family: "It's funny, I always get so private about our kids, but I think that the easiest way or the easiest answer is we just wanted a bigger family, and we feel incredibly blessed."

As for Hargitay, she said she was “deliriously happy” from the minute Amaya — her second child and first daughter — was born. Her name translates to “princess, warrior, and night rain.” Meanwhile, Amaya turned out to be a beautiful young lady. 

"I'm deliriously happy. From the minute she was born, she was just surprisingly alert and so full of love,” Hargitay said in a statement. 

In a rare outing in July 2023, Hargitay and her family were seen in a new photo posted by her friend, Mary McLagen, in which she, Hermann, Amaya, and their youngest child, Andrew were seen cuddling each other. At 12 years old, Amaya looked all grown up in the photo.

Are you a fan of Mariska Hargitay? Isn’t Amaya beautiful? What can you say about her adoption journey? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to your friends and family!