The Real-Life Partners of the Cast of Law & Order: SVU

While many of these actors are part of some of TV’s favorite duos, offscreen they have sweet love stories of their own making!

Whether it’s Mariska Hargitay and Peter Hermann’s SVU beginnings more than twenty years ago or Ice-T and Coco Austin’s music video meet-cute, read on to learn more about the real-life partners of these Law & Order: SVU cast.

01. Mariska Hargitay & Peter Hermann

Though Olivia Benson is still searching for “the one” onscreen, Mariska Hargitay’s real-life love story is one for the ages. When Peter Hermann stepped on set for a guest-starring role on a season 3 episode of SVU, Hargitay remembers thinking to herself, “Who is that Clark Gable, superman guy that I need to marry today?” she told Drew Barrymore in 2022.

Shortly after, Hermann asked Hargitay to attend a church service with him and the rest is history.

“We went to church together, and it was like getting hit with a lightning bolt,” she said. “I just started sobbing. Peter thought I was crying because I was so moved by the service. No, it was because I was just overwhelmed, realizing he was the one.”

The two wed in 2004 and are now the proud parents of three children.

02. Ice T & Coco Austin

Ice-T’s Fin Tutuola recently reunited with old flame Phoebe Baker and are living happily together, but off camera, the rapper has been with his wife, Coco Austin, for more than 20 years. After first meeting on the set of a music video in 2001, the couple wed in Las Vegas just a few months later before getting legally married in 2006.

Like Hermann, Austin has also appeared on episodes of her husband’s show first in 2004 and again in 2007 and 2012.

In 2015, the couple welcomed their first child together, Chanel Nicole. Ice-T is also dad to daughter LeTesha Marrow and son Tracy Marrow Jr. from previous relationships.

03. Christopher Meloni & Sherman Williams

While many SVU fans hold out hope that Elliot Stabler and Olivia Benson will one day — finally — get together, Christopher Meloni is living his own love story offscreen. The actor has been married to Sherman Williams since 1995, after the pair first met in the 1980s on the set of an HBO show that Meloni had a small part in and Williams was working as the production designer.

The two are now mom and dad to daughter Sophia (whose godmother is none other than Mariska Hargitay) and son Dante.

04. Peter Scanavino & Lisha Bai

Fans have been watching as ADA Dominick “Sonny” Carisi and Detective Amanda Rollins take their relationship to the next level, but in his real life, Peter Scanavino has been happily married for more than 10 years.

In 2021, he celebrated the decade milestone on X, formally known as Twitter, with a sweet tribute to his wife, writing “Meeting Lisha is the best thing that ever happened to me.” While there are not many photos on social media of the couple’s children, they are proud parents of three!

05. Kelli Giddish & Beau Richards

When the cast of SVU stepped out to celebrate the show’s 25th season, Kelli Giddish was supported by her husband Beau Richards whom she shares a little Oldie Richards with. Giddish is also mom to sons Charlie and Ludo, whom she shares with ex-husband Lawrence Faulborn.

In February 2022, Giddish paid tribute to her husband on Instagram writing, “Happy beyond words to have met and married my love, my man, my sweet beau 11/7/21,” — in reference the couple’s wedding day. “#NOLA @botorious you are my light, and the most supreme step-father Ludo and Charlie could ask for.”

06. Kevin Kane & Francis Benhamou

Onscreen, Kevin Kane’s Detective Terry Bruno has quickly become one to watch. Off camera, however, the actor lives a quiet life and is married to fellow actress Francis Benhamou. The two share one daughter together.