and Peter Hermann met on the set of "Law and Order: SVU" in 2002 and a whirlwind romance ensued. Shortly after filming wrapped, Hermann took a chance and asked his co-star out on a date. "We went to church together, and it was like getting hit with a lightning bolt," Hargitay told in 2019. Their connection shook her to the core and soon, she was shedding tears. "Peter thought I was crying because I was so moved by the service," she recalled.

"It was because I was just overwhelmed, realizing he was the one."

in 2004 and welcomed their first child, son August Miklos Friedrich, in 2006. During her pregnancy, the actor struggled with gestational diabetes and had to undergo an emergency c-section, but that didn't take away from her love of motherhood. "I'm a mom now – I feel like a superhero!" she told SELF Magazine (via ) in 2007. Indeed, she was excited to grow her family and in 2011, she and Hermann adopted daughter Amaya Josephine.

Just six months later, they adopted son Andrew Nicolas. "We never in a million years thought it would happen this quickly, but something inside of us knew that this was right," Hargitay told .

have her heart and so, it's not surprising she's protective.

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