Mariska Hargitay's Cat's Name Is A Cheeky Nod To Taylor Swift
Actor Mariska Hargitay has played Olivia Benson on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" since 1999. Her lengthy tenure inspired superstar Taylor Swift to name one of her three cats Olivia Benson. Olivia — the cat, not the character — has been a part of Swift's family since 2014. She's friends with the "Law & Order" stalwart in real life, with Hargitay meeting the kitten who bears her most famous character's name in 2015 while Swift was on her "1989" tour.
The actor also co-starred in Swift's "Bad Blood" music video and was brought onstage during the "1989" tour dates in Philadelphia, per People. Similarly, Hargitay found inspiration for her cat's name from Swift's body of work too. In a cheeky nod to her famous friend, the TV star named her cat after a song on Swift's chart-topping "Midnights" record.
Hargitay took to Instagram in November 2023 to share two photos of her new pet. Her caption read: "Karma is a Cat @taylorswift Meet Karma. My Cat." In addition to a cat-face emoji, Hargitay also added some hashtags referencing the "Karma" song lyrics, with a feline twist: "#MeAndKarmaVibeLikeThat #AndIKeepMySideOfMyPawClean #KarmaIsACat."
Swift was thrilled when she learned about Hargitay's new cat
It's no secret that Taylor Swift loves cats — she even enjoyed her time working on the universally panned movie "Cats," which Swift possibly referenced in her song, "evermore." When she spotted Mariska Hargitay's new cat, Karma, the singer-songwriter expressed her excitement by commenting on the post. "Are you serious?!!!!" Swift wrote. "Nothing has ever come more full circle." She included a red circle emoji and added, "LOVE THIS SO MUCH!!" with the cat-with-heart-eyes emoji. Perhaps Karma and Olivia Benson can have a cat playdate one of these days, especially given Swift and Hargitay's enduring friendship.
The actor showed her support by attending Swift's "Eras Tour," and she brought her daughter, Amaya, along too. The mother-daughter duo was also invited to the world premiere of "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour." Hargitay first attended the "Eras Tour" in May 2023, at the Nissan Stadium in Nashville. Her collection of posts about the concert included an Instagram video of her singing along to "The Man" and another clip of Swift's "Bad Blood" performance.
Hargitay attended even more Eras Tour dates
Later that month, Mariska Hargitay headed to MetLife Stadium in New Jersey and channeled her "Bad Blood" music video character, Justice, by wearing a sleek black outfit for the show (via Instagram). Hargitay also snapped a selfie with another "Bad Blood" music video co-star and friend of Swift's, Cara Delevingne. When the "Law & Order" star attended the "Eras Tour" in August 2023, at Sofi Stadium in LA, she posted several pics of all her friendship bracelets, proving that she's one of Swift's biggest fans.
Hargitay also shared some shots of her concert outfit and pictures from the show itself. One photo showed her rocking a "1989" top and sparkly earrings. Her daughter, Amaya, was featured in two photos; one of them watching the show and another of Amaya with Swift's mom.
The actor referenced some of Swift's song titles in her caption, too: "Still in the afterglow of the most magical night. Deepest gratitude to @taylorswift for your poetry and wisdom. You inspire us and connect us to our #delicate tenderness, joy, hope and strength — and most of all, our wish to live and love courageously. Thank you, Taylor, for all you do and all you are. Thank you."