Mariska Hargitay, renowned for her role as Captain Olivia Benson on NBC’s Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, has joined a chorus of voices condemning the seven men accused of sexually assaulting a former student at Cornell University. The actress made her remarks in a powerful joint Instagram post with the Joyful Heart Foundation, an organization she founded in 2004 to assist survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse. In her statement, Hargitay asserted, “We refuse for this victim to be reduced to just another story. Cornell has failed to protect its students.”
Calls for Accountability at Cornell
The Joyful Heart Foundation emphasized the need for answers and accountability in the case, noting that the victim claimed she was never informed about the outcome of her Title IX investigation. The organization reiterated, “A Cornell student says she was never told the outcome of her own Title IX case, and the men she accused are back on campus. Survivors deserve to be believed and kept informed. Silence protects no one. To her: we support you.”
Allegations Led to Lawsuit
The accusations surfaced prominently this week as the unnamed former Cornell student, referred to as Jane Doe in her lawsuit, filed legal action against seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity. She alleges that they drugged and raped her in October 2024 and that her reports to Cornell University Police did not result in criminal charges.
Investigation Reopened
In response to the lawsuit, Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten announced that his office would reopen the investigation into the case. “We want to reexamine whether there’s additional evidence that we were not aware of in November of 2024, that exists now that would change our assessment of the case and would result in the grand jury finding that there was criminal conduct,” he stated in an interview with ABC News.
Support from Fellow Celebrities
Hargitay’s statements align her with other celebrities who have voiced their outrage regarding the incident, including Florence Pugh, Josh Gad, and Hudson Williams. Hargitay specifically called on men to participate in the discourse around these issues, stating, “This is really the moment where we need our men to be as horrified and as sickened as us. You need to be leading conversations about how we change the allowance and complicity of this behaviour as much as we are. How can you expect us to trust that it’s ‘not all men’ when in moments like this, many of you stay quiet?”
On Tuesday, Hargitay also utilized her Instagram Story to amplify other statements condemning the accused individuals, including a provocative quote that read, “Yes, I think we should ruin the futures of adult men who drug and gang rape a woman. Thanks for asking.”
