It is an extra special, celebratory holiday weekend for Mariska Hargitay and her husband Peter Hermann. On Thursday, August 28, the Law & Order: SVU star and the Younger alum rang in their 21st wedding anniversary together. Since tying the knot in 2004, the couple have gone on to welcome three kids together, their son August, 19, in 2006, followed by Amaya Josephine, 14, who they adopted in 2011, and Andrew Nicholas, 13, who they adopted six months later.
In honor of her and Peter's special day, Mariska took to Instagram and shared a round of photos from their anniversary weekend. The three selfies see her in a silky red shirt, cuddling up to Peter, who looks dapper in a crisp white button down.
"Anniversary weekend," she wrote in her caption, and fans were quick to take to the comments section under the post and gush over it. "Love your love. Happy anniversary!!" one wrote, as others followed suit with: "Happy Anniversary to my favorite couple," and: "Happy Anniversary to you two love birds! You both give us all hope that true love exists," as well as: "Beautiful! Happy anniversary!!!"
Mariska and Peter first met in 2001 on the set of Law & Order: SVU, when he began guest starring as defense attorney Trevor Langan. Their first date was at church, per Peter's request, and of the special moment, Mariska once told People: "We went to church together, and it was like getting hit with a lightning bolt," adding: "I just started sobbing. Peter thought I was crying because I was so moved by the service. No, it was because I was just overwhelmed, realizing he was the one."
They officially tied the knot three years later in Santa Barbara, California, in front of around 200 of their closest friends and family members.
Earlier this year, Mariska premiered her directorial debut, a documentary titled My Mom Jayne, about the life and early death of her mother Jayne Mansfield. Her husband Peter was a supportive figure in the documentary, and among the final scenes is a moment he gifts her her mother's beloved piano she had spent years hoping to purchase.
The documentary also features the revelation that Mickey Hargitay wasn't her biological father, but rather performer Nelson Sardelli, who is still alive today and attended the New York City premiere of the documentary.
In the documentary, Mariska recalled realizing that Nelson might be her father, when she was in her 20s. "It was like the floor fell out from underneath me," she said, adding: "Like my infrastructure dissolved." Though Mickey denied it when asked, and they proceeded not to talk about it, eventually Mariska went to meet Nelson when he was performing in Atlantic City, New Jersey. He was moved to tears, and she told Vanity Fair that he told her: "I've been waiting 30 years for this moment."