Mariska Hargitay Recalls Getting Her New Cat & Naming Karma in Taylor Swift’s Honor

Mariska Hargitay loves her Karma. While celebrating the recent premiere of the 25th season of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit on TODAY With Hoda & Jenna Thursday (Jan. 18), the actress opened up about adopting her new cat and naming the feline after a Taylor Swift song. 

“I love my cat,” the Emmy winner gushed. “I was not a cat person, I’ll be honest. And I love lions — I see myself as a lion — and I saw this cat and I went crazy for it.” 

Hargitay made headlines in November when she revealed that her new kitty was named Karma, a tribute to Swift’s song of the same name featuring the lyric “karma is a cat purring in my lap ’cause it loves me.” The gesture was especially sweet given that the pop star named one of her own cats Olivia Benson after the actress’ SVU character years prior.  

“Are you serious?!!!!” Swift commented at the time. “Nothing has ever come more full circle ⭕️ LOVE THIS SO MUCH!! 😻” 

According to Hargitay, her family didn’t even consider any other name for their new addition. “Her name was Karma from minute one, that was her name,” she told hosts Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager before quoting Swift’s lyrics, “Karma is a cat! Me and Karma vibe like that.”  

Beyond their interconnected cat names, Hargitay and Swift go way back. In 2015, the 12-time Grammy winner invited the Jocks actress to appear alongside Ellen Pompeo — whose Grey’s Anatomy character Meredith Grey inspired the name of Swift’s first cat — in the “Bad Blood” music video. In June of that year, Hargitay walked the catwalk alongside Swift as a guest at the 1989 World Tour. 

Watch Hargitay open up about Karma below.