Mariska Hargitay Started Loving Her Curves After Having a Baby | She Struggled With Self-Confidence in Her 20s

"Am I going to be upset about the sag or am I going to look at my three gorgeous kids and my husband and count my lucky stars?" she said.

Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo By Theo Wargo

By Suchitra B

March 6, 2023

Posted March 6, 2023

When Mariska Hargitay was younger, she had doubts about her beauty, and those doubts resurfaced after she gained a lot of weight and received criticism from her admirers. In an interview with StyleCaster, she revealed, “I wasn’t always confident. I spent most of my 20s having people say no to me.” She elaborated, “I’d go to auditions and the casting directors would be like, You’re not tall enough, you’re not pretty enough, you’re not blonde enough, your nose is too big, your nose is too small, your skin is too dark, your skin is too light, change your name! There was so much rejection. I didn’t work for eight years.”

Hargitay added that as she's aged, particularly since giving birth to her first child, August, in 2006, she's grown more at ease with her body and appearance. She also adopted a son named Andrew and a daughter named Amaya with her spouse, Peter Hermann in 2011. “I love my curves because they scream, 'I’m a mama!'” I’m the girl who started wearing maternity pants about an hour after I found out I was pregnant because I was so excited about becoming a mom,” she said.

Image Source: Getty Images | Vince Bucci

But things were not always this way. During her pregnancy, Mariska turned to food for comfort due to the 15-hour work shifts on the Law and Order: SVU set and the tension of having more episodes shot every week. "I was overwhelmed by my lack of energy. All I could do to survive was to eat."

Mariska put on 54 pounds by the third trimester and developed gestational diabetes, which necessitated some dietary adjustments. "First time pregnant, you’re like, I gotta eat more! I have to make sure he has enough of every single food group! I did get into eating too much. This pregnancy was hard for me in the end. I wasn’t mobile. Next time, I want to keep myself as strong as possible, so everything will go easier for me," she said per PEOPLE.

Image Source: Getty Images | Momodu Mansaray

Despite her curves, Hargitay admits she doesn't have the same figure she did when she was younger, but she's okay with that, per PEOPLE. “Things are sagging a bit – I’m not going to lie,” she says. “But am I going to be upset about the sag or am I going to look at my three gorgeous kids and my husband and count my lucky stars? I try to focus on who I am rather than who I’m not.”

She also shared an important message for other people in her position. “I don’t think women should label themselves based on the way they look,” Hargitay said. “What about defining yourself by a different kind of measurement? What about your heart, your soul, your compassion, your generosity, your strength, and your power? There are so many other things to focus on besides your waistline,” she told PEOPLE when she turned 50.