Mariska Hargitay delivers a tearful Creative Arts Emmys acceptance speech for her documentary My Mom Jayne, honoring her late mother and Gloria Steinem.
Surviving the high-speed collision that took her mother's life at just three years old, Mariska Hargitay spent decades processing a phantom grief that shaped her identity.
Rather than letting the shadow of tragedy define her, the beloved television star turned her lens inward, creating an emotional film project that ultimately earned top television honors.
Taking the stage inside Los Angeles’ Peacock Theatre on Sunday, September 6, during the Creative Arts Emmy Awards, Hargitay delivered an emotional acceptance speech reflecting on personal history, creative empowerment, and female narrative.
Mariska Hargitay Channels Feminist Icon Gloria Steinem in Powerful Stage Moment
Accepting top honors for her directorial debut, My Mom Jayne, the 62-year-old actress admitted feeling completely overwhelmed by the recognition.
Hargitay used her speech to honor legendary feminist icon and political activist Gloria Steinem, who passed away at her New York City home at age 92 on Wednesday, September 2.
"I’m utterly overwhelmed, as you can imagine," Hargitay shared from the stage. "I just wanted to share with you that it took me a while… to realize that this was my story to tell. I didn’t think that I could direct it, and so I just want to add something to Gloria’s pointer, and that is about telling your own story."
The reference honored Steinem’s final public interview for the Famous Last Words documentary series—filmed in February 2025 and released following her passing—where the pioneer urged audiences to "please tell your own story" as the single most critical act for mutual human understanding.
Hargitay extended that exact call to action directly to women across the global creative community.
"I just want that invitation to go out, especially to women," she stated. "I’m so excited to explore and discover and to innovate new ways of hearing stories from half of the world’s population, because we don’t hear from you nearly enough. I can’t wait to get to know you. Thank you, this is meaningful."
Unpacking the Intimate Legacy of Jayne Mansfield
The Law & Order: Special Victims Unit icon was raised by her father, legendary bodybuilder Mickey Hargitay, following the devastating 1967 automobile crash that killed her mother, 1960s Hollywood sex symbol Jayne Mansfield.
It was only later in life that Mariska uncovered the complex details surrounding her biological lineage, learning that her birth father was entertainer Nelson Sardelli, with whom Mansfield had a brief relationship during a split from Mickey.
To piece together the truth behind the glamour and public tabloid headlines, Hargitay’s 2025 documentary project weaves together unpublished home archives alongside intimate on-camera conversations with Mansfield’s five children.
Mansfield’s extended family includes daughter Jayne Marie, born in 1950 to Paul Mansfield; sons Miklós (born 1958) and Zoltán (born 1960) with Mickey Hargitay; son Tony (born 1965) with Matt Cimber; and Mariska herself, born in 1964.
How Uncovering Family Truths Healed the SVU Star
Speaking on the Call Her Daddy podcast with host Alex Cooper, Hargitay previously described how confronting her mother's multi-layered history brought unexpected comfort.
"During the making of this film and on this journey, I’ve had so many moments where I got to see our similarity, or what I came from," Hargitay explained.
She noted that stepping behind the camera allowed her to move past the public pin-up persona to appreciate her mother's genuine strength and intelligence.
"What I admire and revere and respect are the things about her that I’m in awe of, and the things about her that are so similar to how I am," she reflected. "So, in that way, it has been this gift. It’s so magnificent."
By stepping up to claim her own narrative on the Emmys stage, Hargitay not only secured a major industry triumph but also completed a deeply personal journey of healing and self-discovery.
https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/mariska-hargitay-nods-to-gloria-steinem-in-emmys-speech/
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