Shortly after Law & Order: SVU debuted, Hargitay says she started "receiving letters that said 'I'm 17, and my father's been raping me since I was 12.'" The mail convinced her to start the Joyful Heart Foundation in 2004 to help heal, educate and empower survivors of abuse and sexual assault.
Mariska Hargitay
Shortly after Law & Order: SVU debuted, Hargitay says she started "receiving letters that said 'I'm 17, and my father's been raping me since I was 12.'" The mail convinced her to start the Joyful Heart Foundation in 2004 to help heal, educate and empower survivors of abuse and sexual assault.