Weird Things About Mariska Hargitay And Chris Meloni's Friendship We Can't Ignore

Mariska Hargitay and Christopher "Chris" Meloni's friendship has some oddities. The "Law & Order: SVU" co-stars have repeatedly clarified their relationship is purely platonic, and both are married to other people (Hargitay wed Peter Hermann in 2004, and Chris Meloni tied the knot with Doris Sherman Williams in 1995). Hargitay has even shared how Meloni and Sherman Williams's relationship inspired her own. "The birth of his first child and being privy to his amazing, solid relationship with his wife, before I had that for myself — I think that Chris and Sherman played a really big role for me, to see this really stable couple that loved each other," she told People.

Despite gushing over her co-star's relationship, Hargitay wasn't offended when referred to as his "second wife." "It's kind of right in a way, isn't it? ... I don't think I'll be marrying him any time soon, but I am kind of like his second wife. Wife, therapist, bestie, sister, mother," she told People. Meloni then admitted, "I think the uber fans literally want our spouses to go away." We doubt Sherman Williams or Hermann appreciated that.

Even stranger? Hargitay and Meloni held hands at a basketball game they attended with her son, August, and Meloni's wife in April 2025. Hargitay shared photos on Instagram and only tagged Meloni in the caption, partially writing, "Didn't mind the company either ... @chris_meloni." There are a few other weird things about this friendship, from throuple jokes to Valentine's posts.

Though most besties would feel uncomfortable at the prospect of pretending to be lovers, that's not the case for Mariska Hargitay and Chris Meloni. They've repeatedly admitted they wanted their "Law & Order: SVU" characters Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler to get together, despite that meaning they'd have to share some passionate on-screen moments. Hargitay told Variety there was once a storyline proposed that would have seen them kiss, and they pushed for it to happen. "Chris and I thought it should go one way, and the powers that be didn't, so it got changed at the last minute, that near-kiss," she said.

The two also teased potential intimacy for their characters in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. When a reporter asked if there was any chance of the two getting together romantically, Hargitay and Meloni playfully got in close and stared at each other seductively. He then quipped, "We haven't planned anything, but we're always kind of rehearsing and getting ready for it." They both agreed emphatically that they wanted their characters to be in a relationship, with Hargitay teasing, "More than anything!"

The term "chemistry" is usually reserved for romantic couples, but Mariska Hargitay has used it when speaking on her relationship with Chris Meloni. In an interview with Variety, she admitted, "Our chemistry is undeniable. It's just the way it is." She also revealed the intimate nature of their friendship on "Today," sharing, "Listen, nobody really understands our relationship the way we do."

As a married man, Meloni has also used some interesting terminology to speak about his friend. When speaking to Entertainment Tonight about reuniting with Hargitay on-screen, he explained, "We just pick it up right where we left off, and we've said it's like we don't have this relationship with anyone else ... It's unique, it's full of laughter, she's full of love. We just kind of fall seamlessly into that place every time we see each other."

While it's good that the two can confide in each other, putting their friendship on such a pedestal could cause some discomfort at home. As family therapist Gayle Peterson, MSSW, LCSW, PhD, explained on Ask Dr. Gayle, "[Platonic friendships] should not feel threatening." If either spouse begins feeling threatened, she suggested, "Continue to dialogue about it. Explore your fears and fantasies together. And seek to come up with boundaries that you feel include you as a special person in his life, while respecting one another's need for independent relationships that do not threaten your marriage."

Not many besties celebrate Valentine's Day (Galentine's Day parties aside), but Mariska Hargitay and Chris Meloni do. In 2017, Hargitay shared an Instagram photo of her close friend planting a kiss on her cheek one day after the most romantic day of the year. "And then that happened ... Just when I thought Valentine's Day was over," she teased in the caption. While it was clearly a joke and his pucker was far from passionate, the two were toeing a dangerous line, seeing as they're both married to other people. In the comments, fans were willing them together romantically, with one even writing in all caps, "THEY NEED TO GET MARRIED IM CRYING SO HARD IABDOWBWXOBEUD."

But that's not the only occasion the two have celebrated. In 2021, Meloni acknowledged 22 years since he began working with Hargitay in an Instagram post. He shared two photos of them together for the anniversary, writing, "Well, this happened on the 22nd anniversary of us/svu." That only spurred on fans hoping they'd spark up a romance further, with one commenting, "You two just need to get together already! You're so good together!" Though the duo can't control what their followers write on their posts, sharing provocative uploads they know will stir up their fans' imaginations isn't exactly respectful to their spouses.

In 2024, an X, formerly known as Twitter, user called out Chris Meloni for seemingly looking at Mariska Hargitay's booty while shooting "Law & Order: SVU." They even included a photo of the moment, which showed his character glancing downward as Hargitay stood in front of him. But instead of letting the tweet pass by, Meloni responded with a joke. "Keep ur eyes on ur own paper," he wrote, quoting the original tweet. His response has racked up more than 35,000 likes at the time of writing.

Keep ur eyes on ur own paper https://t.co/ZxnsAvUoyW

— Chris Meloni (@Chris_Meloni) April 6, 2024

Though we appreciate the two making a joke out of their longstanding friendship, the quip bordered on sexualizing a friend and didn't do anything to quell rumors of sexual tension between the two. "Sexual tension is an exciting and intense desire between two people that is often unspoken. It's a thrilling vibe based on physical chemistry, characterized by flirtation, ranging from a glance or a brush past each other to playful teasing," Chamin Ajjan, a licensed clinical social worker and AASECT-certified sex therapist, explained to Brides. "Anticipation and longing can fuel this tension, especially when there are barriers or obstacles that prevent acting on the desire," she added. Though sexual tension isn't the same as romantic attraction, it could still suggest the two are thriving on their flirty behavior, despite neither being single, and that could be a major red flag for their respective relationships.

Mariska Hargitay's husband Peter Hermann is clearly aware of her very close relationship with Chris Meloni, so much so that he joked about being in a throuple (that's a usually sexual relationship involving three people) with them. "We make it work. Sometimes Chris and I have some things to negotiate. But we've gotten really good at communicating with each other, and there's a lot of give and take," Hermann quipped on "Daily Pop." "Kind of in the end, all three of us, we're really happy," he teased.

Though Hermann's jovial response suggests he and Hargitay have spoken openly about her close relationship with Meloni, it could also be a sign he may not be completely comfortable with their close bond. As Nicole Moore, celebrity relationship expert and host of the "Love Works" podcast, explained to us while highlighting the red flags in Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds' relationship, "Sometimes people use humor to mask deeper feelings that they aren't dealing with ... one might start to wonder if they are playing a bit more so than revealing how they truly feel about each other, good or bad."