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‘Law & Order: SVU’ Star Mariska Hargitay Drops ‘Happy Thanksgiving’ Selfie With Chris Meloni and His Daughter

We’re extra grateful this year that “Law & Order: SVU” stars Mariska Hargitay and Chris Meloni were able to spend part of Thanksgiving together.

The two have been longtime friends ever since starring in “Law & Order: SVU” when it first aired in 1999. Meloni left the show in May 2011, but has since returned to star in his own spin-off show called “Law & Order: Organized Crime.” Despite leaving the show that connected them in the first place, Meloni and Hargitay have remained very close friends regardless.

Mariska Hargitay and Chris Meloni on Thanksgiving

Hargitay posted a photo alongside Meloni and his daughter, Sophia Eva Pietra Meloni. She captioned the post simply, “Happy Thanksgiving.”

Meloni has two children with his wife Sherman Williams. Sophia was born in 2001 and his son Dante was born in 2004.

Mariska Hargitay has an extra special bond with Meloni’s oldest child. She is the godmother to his daughter, which for “Law & Order: SVU” fans, that’s a true testament to the chemistry present on the long-running program.

Fans shared their love for the iconic trio as well. One person wrote, “Happy thanksgiving to the best trio and boy Chris stands out amongst you two pretty ladies!”

Meloni’s daughter also got him a Father’s Day gift in June that proves she’s got a pretty stellar sense of humor. She found a hilarious tweet from TV critic Matt Zoller Seitz that she had framed for her dad.

It says, “I saw Chris Meloni, one of the toughest guys on television, failing to control two toddlers at a brunch at Columbus Circle circa 2007.” It proves just how much of a softie Chris Meloni is off the screen. Sophia also shared a handwritten note saying “The toddlers in question?” with a photo of her and her brother as toddlers.

The Bond of Former ‘Law & Order: SVU’ Co-Stars

Hargitay and Meloni have a decades-long bond that seems to be unbreakable. During an interview with ET Online, Meloni summed up the friendship as simply as he could by saying, “It’s simple, we have each other’s backs.”

Their characters were left on very shaky terms when he departed from “Law & Order: SVU.” However, in real life that friendship has only grown stronger and stronger. Detective Elliot Stabler and Captain Olivia Benson had an intense reunion when the spin-off series aired.

“There was so much shorthand between us, which all goes back to the trust we have. He’s always made me feel like I could just jump off the ledge, the cliff, the bridge, and he would catch me, in so many ways, whether it was comedy or acting or friendship,” Hargitay said regarding their friendship to People.

Now, fans are just waiting for their characters to spark up some romance on their “Law & Order” shows.