The Truth About Mariska Hargitay's Visible Scar

Mariska Hargitay's name has been synonymous with her character, Detective Olivia Benson, ever since she first appeared on the hit NBC show "Law & Order: SVU" in 1999. Over 20 years later, Hargitay has built a life around the series and proven her acting chops time and time again. She has won both an Emmy and a Golden Globe for her work on the procedural, proving that talent runs in her veins.

Hargitay's mother is the late old Hollywood icon Jayne Mansfield, who's known for starring in film classics such as "The Girl Can't Help It" and "Playgirl After Dark," while her father, Mickey Hargitay, took on roles in "The Loves of Hercules" and "Delirio Caldo."

While there's no denying Hargitay's drop-dead gorgeous looks, it's hard not to notice her out-of-place facial scar. But it's the traumatic story behind the blemish that Hargitay told Redbook is "the scar of my soul."

Mariska Hargitay's scar comes from a horrific car accident she was involved in as a child. In 1967, when she was just 3 years old, Hargitay was driving with a chauffeur, her mother, her mother's boyfriend, and her siblings, Miklós and Zoltán, from Biloxi, Mississippi to New Orleans, Louisiana. On the road trip, at around 2 a.m., their 1966 Buick Electra rear-ended a truck.

The car's roof tore off and the Buick slid underneath the truck's trailer, instantly killing the three adults onboard. All three children survived, including Hargitay, but she retains no memory of the crash. The tragedy served as a catalyst for changing U.S. traffic laws to force trucks to include steel bars (now known as Mansfield bars) to stop cars from sliding underneath them. 

In her 2009 interview with Redbook, Hargitay took an enlightened viewpoint on the accident that left her with depression. "I feel like it ultimately made me into the person I am today," she said. "I understand the journey of life. I had to go through what I did to be here."

Not one to shy away from the tough stuff, Mariska Hargitay has continued her stunning transformation by reflecting on the horrific car accident that took the life of her mother. Hargitay's famous mom, actress Jayne Mansfield, was only 34 when she passed away. This left a sizable void for the "Law & Order" star to grow up with, one which Hargitay has struggled with all her life. In a 2018 interview with People she admitted, "There's been a lot of darkness," but continued that "the other side of things can be so bright." While it was been difficult to grow up without the physical presence of her mother, Hargitay believes "She's with me still."

Through grief and grit, Hargitay was able to harness her desire to make more sense of the loss of her mother by channeling it in a familiar direction: filmmaking. According to Deadline, Hargitay made a documentary titled "My Mom Jayne" which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. Through making the film, Hargitay was able to reconnect with her mother. "I wanted to know that story and again, get to know the person," Hargitay said.