'SVU' Star Mariska Hargitay's Marriage Rejuvenated After WGA Strike Freed Up Her Busy Schedule: Source
Mariska Hargitay's workaholic ways came to a screeching halt with Hollywood's writers and actors union strikes, but insiders snitched that the Law & Order: SVU legend believed the dual stoppage saved her marriage, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Hargitay, 59, has been married to actor and producer Peter Hermann, 56, since 2004.
Sources dished that Hargitay and Hermann, who plays reoccurring roles on SVU and Blue Bloods, revel in their time together and were thrilled to have extra hours with their children, August, 17, Amaya, 12, and Andrew, 11.
"The workload for Mariska on SVU has been so heavy and intense for so long since she is the star and has more lines and story plots that anyone on the show," an insider told the National Enquirer as they remarked on Hargitay's "regrets" as a wife.
"She's regretted that throughout her 19 years of being married to Peter, they've been two ships passing in the night," the source said before noting the impact that the dual union strikes had on the marriage.
The tipster claimed that "thanks to the strikes, she and Peter were able to see their kids off to their new school years and finally engage in some domestic bliss."
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According to the insider, while Hargitay waited to resume her Emmy-winning role as Capt. Olivia Benson for SVU's 25th season, she found a silver lining to the strikes.
"When Mariska and Peter leave the house, it was usually to march on the picket line," the source revealed. "They found it was a new activity they could do together."
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While Hargitay may have found a "silver lining" during the dual strike, there was apparently not the same level of "bliss" on the set of her hit crime series.
RadarOnline.com previously reported about the "war of egos" waged by Hargitay and her SVU co-star Christopher Meloni. Insiders claimed the duo's tv colleagues complained about being stiffed on their pay while Hargitay and Meloni were consumed with a secret feud fueled by greed.
"No matter who it is and what show they’re on, it’s never enough," a source said of the alleged battling co-stars.
The insider claimed that Hargitay and Meloni "can flirt up a storm and ham it up in front of the cameras — but behind the scenes they’re constantly angling to one-up each other."
"Whatever Mariska gets Chris wants too, and that goes for salary and all those other extra perks. It really pushes Mariska’s buttons and it’s testing their friendship, but if Chris hears Mariska’s getting a masseur, he’ll demand one too — and he’ll get one," the source added.
Meloni previously left Law & Order: SVU in 2011 when his paycheck was slashed from $395k an episode to $300k. Years later, he returned to the franchise for Organized Crime.
"Obviously they had to offer him equal to what Mariska earns there — which translates to roughly $540k an episode," the source alleged.