Why Mariska Hargitay Was 'Scared' Before Husband Gave Her Sentimental Gift

Why Mariska Hargitay Was 'Scared' Before Husband Gave Her Sentimental Gift originally appeared on Parade.

Mariska Hargitay previously revealed that her husband, Peter Hermann, surprised her with her late mother Jayne Mansfield's grand piano for her 60th birthday, and she recently shared her funny recollection of being given the gift.

While sharing the story during a Q&A at a special screening of her documentary, My Mom Jayne, at the HamptonsFilm's SummerDocs series on Thursday, July 17, Hargitay, 61, said the way Hermann, 57, handled the big reveal made her fear for the outcome.

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She said that it was the last day of filming the documentary in Los Angeles when Hermann called to tell her, "There's an Uber outside. I need you to get in the car." After she gave him pushback, he told her, "I need you to listen to me. Do as I say and get in the car. It's an Uber."

"I get in the car, and I'm so mad," she admitted.

Hargitay explained that she then checked the locations of Hermann and their three children, which she discovered were turned off. "So now I'm starting to get scared," she said.

Based on the direction the car was driving, the Law & Order: SVU star said she believed she was headed to Los Angeles International Airport. However, she began to think the worst when she drove past the landmark into an area she wasn't familiar with.

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"I'm sure that my husband's gonna have me whacked," she remembered thinking, which made the audience break out into laughter. "I'm so scared. I was like, 'I did nothing but be a perfect wife!'"

Once Hargitay arrived at a warehouse, she found her family and My Mom Jayne co-producer Trish Adlesic. Additionally, cameramen were present to capture her reaction when Hermann revealed Mansfield's piano. Mansfield was just 34 when she died in 1967, while Hargitay was just 3.

Hargitay then spoke to the audience about receiving the gift, saying that there were "no words" to describe what the gesture meant to her. "It was so magnificent. It was one of the best things in my life," she said.

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"It was a reclamation," Hargitay said. "It was everything that I wanted — and it was a surprise, so it was extraordinary."

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Despite the dramatic way Hermann gifted her the grand piano, Hargitay admitted that "it's a great story."

"It's still like a dream come true," she said. "It's magic."

Why Mariska Hargitay Was 'Scared' Before Husband Gave Her Sentimental Gift first appeared on Parade on Jul 19, 2025

This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 19, 2025, where it first appeared.