Mariska Hargitay Gushes Over Taylor Swift’s Impact on Kids: ‘She’s Pure Magic’

Mariska Hargitay is a Swiftie for life. The Law & Order: Special Victims Unit star — whose character, Olivia Benson, is the namesake of one of Taylor Swift‘s cats — gushed about her admiration for the “Anti-Hero” singer.

“She’s pure magic,” Hargitay told Entertainment Tonight Thursday (Oct. 19) at the WMC Women’s Media Awards in New York City. “There’s nothing she can’t do. It’s been so beautiful to reconnect to that innocence, you know? I think Taylor gives such a beautiful message to kids and unlocks these girls’ emotions.”

The actress attended multiple Eras Tour shows around the country, and walked the red carpet with her 12-year-old daughter, Amaya, at the pop star’s concert film premiere earlier this month. “I see how it affects my daughter and she cries and just opens up like a flower,” Hargitay noted of Swift’s impact. “And [I see] how meaningful it is, and I’m grateful to be part of it and watch that journey.”

“It’s been so beautiful [to see] how she gracefully walked through her journey and allowed herself to evolve and truly step into her power pose, her talent and all of her glory,” she added. “And she’s got quite a bit of it … I think she is a magicmaker.”

Hargitay has been pals with Swift since the two became friendly at an Ingrid Michaelson concert in 2014, and the “Karma” musician even cast her in the 2015 music video for “Bad Blood.” The SVU star appeared side by side with Ellen Pompeo, whose Grey’s Anatomy character, Meredith Grey, is the namesake of another of Swift’s cats. Later that year, she walked the stage with the 12-time Grammy winner at a 1989 Tour show.

Swift’s Eras Tour film was a box office success before it even premiered Oct. 11, with AMC Theaters reporting an unprecedented demand for tickets. It grossed $92.8 million in its first weekend, becoming the top music concert film of all time.

“I’ve always had fun doing this,” Swift said at the project’s world premiere in Los Angeles. “I can’t believe I get to do music as a career. That’s crazy. I’ve always had so much fun doing it. I’ve never had this much fun in my life as I have had on The Eras Tour. It is far and away just the most electric experience of my life.”