The Special Role Mariska Hargitay Plays In Christopher Meloni's Daughter's Life

If you were ever in trouble and needed a team to help solve your case, there is no doubt Elliot Stabler and Olivia Benson would get the job done. Christopher Meloni, who portrays Stabler, and Mariska Hargitay, who stars as Benson, have been the heart of "Law & Order: SVU" for decades — the detectives are some of the most iconic partners a television crime show has to offer. According to the show's NBC bio, the series, which first aired on September 20, 1999, is the "longest-running primetime live-action series of all time." 

Throughout the first 12 seasons of the show, fans worldwide fell in love with their friendship and on-air chemistry. After a very successful run, Meloni chose to leave the show in 2011 — a decision that sent fanatics into an uproar — only to make a comeback 10 years later. And though Stabler and Benson may not be solving crimes together as often as they once were, it's clear that their real-life counterparts will forever be close — particularly because Hargitay plays an important role in Meloni's daughter's life.

Christopher Meloni and his wife Sherman Williams welcomed their first child, Sophia, in 2001 — and the couple asked Mariska Hargitay if she would be the godmother to their baby girl. During an interview with People, the actor detailed how that decision was such a defining moment in her life. "The birth of his first child and being privy to [Meloni's] amazing, solid relationship with his wife, before I had that for myself," Hargitay said, adding, "I think that Chris and Sherman played a really big role for me, to see this really stable couple that loved each other." But just one year later, Hargitay had no idea how her own life would change.

In fact, Meloni was there for his friend when she found love with her now husband Peter Hermann. According to Us Weekly, the love birds met on the set of "Law & Order: SVU" in 2002 and got married in 2004 — the same year Meloni and Williams welcomed their second child. For her part, Hargitay now has three children of her own. And clearly, not only has she been dominating television for over two decades, but she has also been doing the same in her role as a godmother to Meloni's now 20-year-old daughter.

Earlier this year, Mariska Hargitay gushed about Christopher Meloni in an interview with People, noting how she considers him one of the "four pillar men" in her life. "He always made me feel like I could just jump off the ledge, the cliff, the bridge, and he would catch me, in so many ways, whether it was comedy or acting or friendship." Meloni added, "We have each other's back."

While Hargitay spent nine long years without her co-star by her side, many fans had to accept the fact that Elliot Stabler was probably never coming back. It wasn't until the show's creator, Dick Wolf, reached out to Meloni to discuss a project he had in mind that the actor started to entertain the idea of returning, per The New York Post. "I never thought this was going to happen, but the circumstances for me changed," Meloni told the outlet. "So 'yes' became the correct answer."

Meloni reprised his role as Stabler and officially made his return to the franchise for the spinoff series, "Law & Order: Organized Crime" — occasionally making crossover appearances on "Law & Order: SVU." According to Variety, "Organized Crime" drew in a whopping 4.32 million viewers, as many were excited to see Stabler back on the screen again.