Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni’s friendship timeline explored as SVU co-stars hold hands at knicks game

Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni, popularly known for their roles as Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler, respectively, in the American crime series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. The duo, who have been friends for a long time, were spotted at an NBA Game between the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers at Madison Square Garden on Friday, April 11.

The Knick's social media account shared a photo of the duo at the game holding hands with the caption "DUN DUN." In case you are not familiar, the DUN DUN is reportedly referencing the beginning of the SVU's soundtrack.

Mariska Hargitay and Meloni were part of the main cast of NBC's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999- present). Though Mariska Hargitay is still on the show, Christopher Meloni left the show in 2011.

There have always been speculations regarding the nature of the relationship between Mariska Hargitay and Meloni. But the two close friends have been with their respective spouses for a long time. Hargitay has been married to Peter Hermann, her other SVU co-star, since 2004, while Meloni has been with his wife Doris Sherman Williams since 1995.

Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni’s friendship timeline explored

According to TODAY, Hargitay and Meloni met in 1999, when the two were auditioning for Law & Order: SVU. Hargitay talked about their first meeting in The Law & Order: SVU Unofficial Companion (2009). She shared that,

I was told by my agent that John Slattery was going to be there. Chris walks in and I see this guy who’s all New York, cocky — everything that he is now he was then. I jumped up and I go ‘Slattery!’ And he goes, without missing a beat, ‘Meloni!’ Well, he and I, from minute one, were (doing) all this shtick and laughing…. I thought, ‘I want to be with that guy!’ Because we already had a thing.

Ever since, they have been a part of each other's life. According to TODAY, Hargitay is Meloni's first child's godmother, and Meloni was reportedly a witness to the relationship between Hargitay and Hermann. According to reports, in 2010, at the 62nd Primetime Emmy Red Carpet, the duo responded positively when asked if they wanted their respective characters (who are often shipped together by fans) in SVU to "sleep together".

In 2011, Mariska Hargitay reportedly had a hard time dealing with Meloni's exit from the show. But, despite this, the duo remained close friends and often shared their friendship moments with fans on social media. Once, in 2017, Hargitay even shared a post-Valentine's Day post.

In 2021, Meloni made his way back to the Law & Order Universe, but not in SVU but in a spinoff called Organized Crime. There were crossovers between the two shows, and the duo spoiled their fans with BTS photos. According to multiple reports, in 2024, Hargitay revealed that the compass that Stabler gifts Benson in the last episode of "Organized Crime's" third season was co-designed by herself and Meloni.

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To this day, the duo continues the practice of featuring each other on social media and spending holidays with each other's families, and they are still maintaining their 25-year-old friendship.

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