From a cat named Olivia Benson to a later nod with “Karma,” Taylor Swift and Mariska Hargitay have built a friendship that keeps circling back to the same sweet details—through concerts, award shows, and even a photo at Madison Square Garden in 2026.
Taylor Swift and Mariska Hargitay’s friendship didn’t begin with a handshake or a red carpet moment. It started with a cat.
Swift has been a fan of Hargitay’s long-running drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit for years. where Hargitay plays Detective Olivia Benson. In June 2014, Swift paid homage to her favorite crime solver by naming her cat Olivia Benson. Three months later. Hargitay posted a photo via Instagram of the custom cat collar she had made for Swift’s furry friend.
When the moment first landed in October 2014, Hargitay described how personal it felt. “When she named her cat, I had so much going on,” Hargitay exclusively told Us Weekly. She explained she gifted Swift an engraved collar after learning of the name. “I was out of town, and when things calmed down, I thought it warranted a real something [special]. That’s so sweet and too fabulous.”.
That same season, their bond moved from pets to people. In August 2014, Hargitay and Swift spent time together at a New York City concert featuring their mutual friend, Ingrid Michaelson. Hargitay told Us in October 2014. “Taylor is so great — beautiful. girly and lovely.” And after they met. Hargitay remembered the instant connection: “She’s a huge fan of the show and was so gracious. ” she recalled. “When we met, I knew I had to do something great [to repay her].”.
The friendship kept multiplying across eras and awards. In May 2015, Hargitay appeared in Swift’s “Bad Blood” music video, which debuted at the 2015 Billboard Music Awards. The cast included Ellen Pompeo. who plays Meredith Grey on Grey’s. along with Selena Gomez. Cara Delevingne. Gigi Hadid and more. During an appearance on Late Night With Seth Meyers that month. Hargitay said. “It’s just so awesome and it makes me feel super badass. ” adding. “I feel like my cool-factor went up with the kids and I’m really grateful. Taylor.”.
In June 2015, Hargitay made a surprise appearance as one of Swift’s guests during her 1989 Tour in Philadelphia, walking the catwalk alongside the singer to a roaring crowd.
A few months later, Swift’s awards season brought Hargitay right back into the mix. In August 2015. when Swift won Video of the Year at the 2015 MTV VMAs. Hargitay was part of her squad at the award show. “My girl @TaylorSwift. She won!. So glad to be there with the #GirlSquad tonight to represent and watch you win!. You earned it. #JusticeIsServed #BadBlood #BestVid #MadLove #JusticeAndCatastrophe,” Hargitay wrote via Instagram after the event.
Then in November 2015, Hargitay received her own MTV VMAs moonperson statue for being part of the “Bad Blood” music video. She celebrated by posing for a photo with Swift and her cat counterpart. “#SorryLiv, I hate to take away your chew toy, but #ThisMoonMan 🌝is #ThisOliviaBenson’s,” Hargitay joked via Instagram. “And remember, #UsLivsGottaStickTogether, so #LivYourLife. Oh, and #ThankYou @TaylorSwift. Always so much fun seeing you too.”.
The cat thread didn’t fade—it returned, nearly a decade later, with a new name. In November 2023, Hargitay named her pet Karma in honor of Swift’s hit song off her Midnights album. Swift reacted in the comments section of Hargitay’s kitten announcement in December 2023, writing, “Are you serious?!!!!. Nothing has ever come more full circle ⭕️ LOVE THIS SO MUCH!!. 😻.”.
Their friendship continued to show up in real-life settings, not just captions. In May 2023, Hargitay posted on Instagram after attending Swift’s Nashville Eras Tour concert. “Thank you magnificent and miraculous @taylorswift for your magic. It’s such a gift to be in your stunning, sparkly, powerful and délicate wonderland,” she wrote. “How do you make a stadium filled with 70,000 people feel like your cozy living room♥️ You are pure magic!. Thank you for exquisite talent, your courage and all your wisdom. Your STAMINA!!and your #SHIMMER #ShakeItOff glorious night @reesewitherspoon and avaphillippe♥️💃🏻🙏🏼😘 #Nashville #erastour.”.
In October 2023, Hargitay brought her daughter, Amaya, as her date to the Los Angeles movie premiere of Taylor Swift: Eras Tour.
In November 2023. Hargitay introduced her followers to her cat in more detail. writing via Instagram. “Karma is a Cat @taylorswift Meet Karma. My Cat.🐱 #MeAndKarmaVibeLikeThat #AndIKeepMySideOfMyPawClean #KarmaIsACat. ” and noting in the caption that it referenced lyrics from Swift’s single “Karma” off her 2022 album Midnights.
Even when the spotlight shifted to Hargitay’s TV life, Swift stayed threaded through the conversation. In January 2024. Hargitay teased that her SVU character. Olivia Benson. might be in her Lover era going into season 25 of the NBC series. “I was listening to [Lover] last night as I was running on the treadmill. I listened to also 1989 because that’s good to run to. ” she exclusively dished to Us. calling “Paper Rings” her “favorite” Lover track. She added that one Swift track has deeper meaning for her: “My favorite one is. I don’t know what album this is. sorry. ‘Invisible String.’ That’s my song with my children. Really gorgeous,” she said of the Folklore song.
The friendship has also been carried through milestones at home. In February 2024. Hargitay said Swift didn’t attend Hargitay’s 60th birthday bash in January 2024. but that she was there in spirit. On The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Hargitay recalled the party her husband, Peter Hermann, hosted one month prior. “The highlight was each one of my children sang to me,” she said. “My oldest son sang first. and he sang — well. he sang two songs — he sang ‘Blue Bayou’ by Linda Ronstadt. which is one of my favorite songs. and he also sang ‘Blue Christmas.’ It’s a little inside joke that we have.” She continued: “Then. my daughter sang ‘Long Live’ by Taylor Swift. And then, my youngest son, who’s 12, sang ‘Crazy Train’ by Ozzy Osbourne.”.
When Hargitay looked back at their working moment together, she kept the tone simple: it mattered. In June 2025, during an appearance on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast, Hargitay recalled working with Swift. “It was so fun. It’s the best music video. ” she said. adding. “That was the most fun. being in the squad with all the cool girls and supermodels. It was the most fun ever.” She said Swift taught her “so much. ” explaining. “That’s what I love about her is [that] she’s so young. but she shows us in such beautiful ways how to be fearless.”.
By June 2026, the friendship had settled into an easy, everyday kind of visibility. Swift and Hargitay were photographed sitting next to each other at Madison Square Garden for game 4 of the NBA Finals as the New York Knicks took on the San Antonio Spurs. The longtime friends wore matching blue baby tees with “Stevie Knicks” printed in orange letters.
The whole timeline reads like a repeating pattern: a shared pop-culture world, a real-life repayment moment, and that cat connection that keeps morphing into the next era.
From Olivia Benson to Karma—and from concerts to VMAs to a seat at Madison Square Garden—the details have stayed intimate, even as everything around them changed.
Taylor Swift Mariska Hargitay Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Olivia Benson Karma Bad Blood 1989 Tour MTV VMAs Nashville Eras Tour Madison Square Garden Knicks Spurs