Mariska Hargitay's Rarely-Seen Son August Is All Grown Up Now

Mariska Hargitay 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 People 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."

The couple married 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 People) 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 People.

Hargitay's children have her heart and so, it's not surprising she's protective. Her kiddos have rarely appeared in the spotlight, which is why August took everyone by surprise when he joined his mom at the 2023 US Open looking all grown up!

Unlike some celebrity children, Mariska Hargitay's brood has had a relatively normal upbringing, far away from the limelight and the tabloids. While most teens plaster the details of their lives all over social media, August Miklos Friedrich has kept much of his personal life under wraps. When he was younger, he would often accompany his mom to the New York City set of "Law & Order: SVU." Then, as he grew up, the actor did her best to provide him with an everyday childhood and told Momtastic in 2010 that she wished she could be a 'regular' mom who attended parent-teacher meetings and was more involved in her son's daily activities. "I get jealous that other people get to take August to school and pick him up," she shared, noting how work often kept her from being able to do so.

While we don't know much more about August, his mom did reveal he's an avid swimmer and, in 2023, she confirmed he's already faced a major struggle despite his young age. When Hargitay and her family attended the Stuttering Association for the Young (SAY) Benefit Gala, Hargitay revealed that her eldest stutters. Praising SAY and its community of experts and peers, August told People, "I think that being in a place where you're surrounded by the people who are dealing with the same thing you are is super special."

Mariska Hargitay has called her eldest "a compassionate guy" and, as she shared during a 2012 interview to promote her charity, the Joyful Heart Foundation, he's a doting big brother. In fact, it was August Miklos Friedrich who came home from a playdate and demanded a baby sister, just like his friend had. "When he said that, my husband, Peter, and I looked at each other and replied, 'It is so interesting you said that,'" she recalled. "When we went ahead with the adoption, August thought it was his idea." Indeed, as Hargitay told People in 2011, he was "over the moon" about Amaya Josephine's adoption and, despite being just four years old, he was totally ready to embrace his new role. "He always talks about how he's going to protect her —  he's going to be a great big brother," the actor enthused.

And she was right. In her 2012 interview, Hargitay shared how August was soon asking for a little brother, which he got in Andrew Nicolas, and he didn't stop there. "He's starting to say now, 'We are three, and four is a more even number,'" she shared, musing, "I think he feels very powerful."