Mariska Hargitay Reveals Who Named Her Cat ‘Karma’

Actor Mariska Hargitay recently shared with People Magazine that she and her 12-year-old daughter, Amaya, named their new cat Karma. The name is inspired by the hit Taylor Swift song from her 2022 album, “Midnights.” Years ago, Swift had named one of her cats Olivia Benson after Hargitay’s iconic character in “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.”

Mariska Hargitay reveals different cat names her family had in mind

Hargitay shared that her husband, Peter Hermann, and her two sons, August and Andrew, had thrown around different names for the Siamese cat. However, she and Amaya, who are massive Taylor Swift fans, were adamant about naming the feline Karma.

“It was a no-brainer,” the “Law & Order: SVU” star said. “It just felt so right, and my daughter wasn’t having it any other way.”

Hargitay also spoke about Swift naming her cat Olivia Benson back in 2014, adding she wanted to return the favor. “I mean, it’s so like, ‘Wait, what? Taylor Swift named her cat after my character?'”

Continuing, she shared, “And I was so honored because Olivia Benson’s awesome, but also that it resonated with [Taylor]. It was meaningful to me.”

In November 2023, after Hargitay named her cat Karma, Swift took to Instagram to share her reaction. “Are you serious?!!!! Nothing has ever come more full circle. LOVE THIS SO MUCH!!” the iconic pop star wrote.

Reacting to her comment, Hargitay told People Magazine, “Yeah, that was really cool.”

When Mariska Hargitay appeared in Taylor Swift’s ‘Bad Blood’ music video

Swift and Hargitay go back a long way. The two first met at the Met Gala in 2014 and later became friends after they ran into each other at an Ingrid Michaelson concert in New York. Hargitay also appeared in the music video for Swift’s hit track, “Bad Blood,” from her 2014 album, “1989.”

During an interview with Seth Meyers in 2015, the actor described her experience of working with Swift as “awesome.”

“It makes me feel super badass,” she added. “I feel like my cool factor went up with the kids and I’m really grateful, Taylor.”