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Mariska Hargitay talked to “Extra’s” Mona Kosar Abdi as she was honored for her work with the Joyful Heart Foundation at Variety’s Power of Women New York event.
The actress shared, “This is a beautiful and powerful and galvanizing and celebratory day, and to be in a room with these women and have this spirit in the room is something I will never forget as long as I live.”
In 2004, Hargitay created the Joyful Heart Foundation after taking on the role of Olivia Benson on “Law and Order: SVU.”
According to the website, the foundation’s mission is to “transform society’s response to sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse, support survivors’ healing, and end this violence forever.”
Mariska told Mona, “It’s been incredible to watch the evolution of our society, which has historically swept these issues under the carpet and didn’t want to talk about them, to being able to celebrate them on a larger stage… The fact that this work is celebrated, that everyone wants to talk about it, is nothing shy of a dream come true, and it’s time for us all to get together and make this change.”
Hargitay also talked about the #MeToo movement in her speech.
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Mona asked how far Hollywood has to go, and for her reaction to the shocking news that Harvey Weinstein’s New York rape conviction had been overturned.
Mariska said, “Hollywood has a long way to go, and we need a lot more of these speeches to move the people in power that need to make a fundamental change. But this is how it begins. Change, as I said, is unwieldy and it is messy and it is very uncomfortable, but it is necessary and we’re not stopping until it changes.”