OK! OKMAGAZINE.COM 33D
ORY
Amaya, 8,
and Andrew,
7, Mariska’s
pregnancy
with August, the
couple’s only
biological child, was
“riddled with health
problems and the worst kind
of heartbreak,” says the insider.
Mariska, who was over 40 during the
pregnancy, contracted gestational
diabetes and later needed an
emergency C-section — just as her dad,
former bodybuilder Mickey Hargitay,
was admitted to the hospital at the end
of his battle with cancer. “It was a
scary time for everyone,” says the
insider. “Before he died, Mickey got to
meet Mariska’s little boy, but it was
such a bittersweet moment for her.”
Mariska, whose mom, actress Jayne
Mansfield, passed away when she wasjust a toddler (see sidebar), was
“devastated that her dad died just
when she’d realized her dream of
becoming a mom.”TRYING TIMES
Mariska and Peter faced yet more
disappointment after being unable to
conceive again. Though they
ultimately completed their family via
adoption, the protracted process
proved to be its own source of
heartbreak, with one prospective birth
mother — whose daughter Mariska
and Peter had committed to raising as
their own — changing her mind at the
last minute. “It was nothing short of
devastating,” Mariska’s said, later
adding, “I’m not gonna lie, there are
some wrenching moments. Adoption
is not for the faint of heart.”
But after quick-succession adoptions
of Amaya and Andrew went through in
2011, “Mariska knew her family was
complete,” says a source, adding: “She
and Peter couldn’t have felt more at
peace. They’re fantastic parents.” Amid
busy Hollywood careers, the family
they now share — and the enduring
mutual affection that only seems to
grow each day — has been worth all the
trials and tribulations. “Being a wife
and mother is my life,” Mariska’s said.
“That gives me the most joy.” OK!PARTY OF FIVE
“Peter and I both
envisioned this large
family because we
both come from that,”
Mariska’s said about her
tight-knit clan, adding,
“Plus, we just had
so much love
to give.'OVERCOMING
TRAGEDY
M
ariska learned to cope
with loss at a very young
age, revealing that the
death of her mom,
bombshell actress Jayne
Mansfield, in a 1967 car crash “is
the scar of my soul.” (Mariska
was in the backseat with her
two brothers, who also
survived). While the SVU star
struggled to cope for years —
“She was a pretty wayward kid
and had unresolved issues even
into adulthood,” says a source
— Peter “truly helped her
through” the darkest days. “He
showed her she was going to
be OK. By the time she got
married, she’d forgiven her
mom for leaving her so soon
and was prepared to start a new
chapter.”“She was an inspiration,” Mariska said of
her mom. “She had this appetite for life,
and I think I share that with her.”DEFYING THE ODDS
Besides endless
“laughter,” Peter has
credited
“fundamentals” for his
forever-in-Hollywood-
years marriage to
Mariska: “Kindness,
listen well, fight fair.”