I remember watching the first episode of SVU with my mom when I was a kid. It sparked something in me, seeing this powerful woman on screen tackling these tough issues. Now, years later, I'm a social worker specializing in helping survivors of domestic violence. Olivia Benson, and by extension Mariska Hargitay's portrayal, has had a profound impact on my life, inspiring me to dedicate my career to helping others. Learning about her salary is interesting, but pales in comparison to the impact she's had on so many lives.

This focus on her net worth rubs me the wrong way. It feels disrespectful to reduce her decades of powerful performance to a dollar figure. Why do we always obsess over how much money people make, especially women in a male-dominated industry? It perpetuates a focus on material wealth over artistic contribution and undermines the importance of her work advocating for survivors. It's reductive and honestly, kind of gross.

Mariska Hargitay Shares She Was Raped By a Friend in Her 30s—It’s Even More Heartbreaking Than You Think💔

Her net worth is probably higher than Stabler's poker debts. Just sayin'. But seriously, she's an amazing actress and I'm excited to see her continue to thrive. Anyone else remember that emotional scene in season...? I was bawling 😭

I feel like her paycheck should include hazard pay for all the trauma she deals with on the show. I couldn’t do it. Big respect.

Inside Mariska Hargitay's Tragic Real Life Story💔