Mariska Hargitay is in her reputation era!
Tuesday, Law and order: SVU star channeled her friend Taylor Swift on Instagram, sharing two photos of herself posing with a boa constrictor — the images she joked in the hashtag represented “Reputation (My Version),” a track on Swift’s sixth studio album.
While her time with the reptile gave Hargitay a chance to show off her inner Swiftie, it seemed to be more about reliving a part of her past.
“So… fun fact – when I was a kid we had a boa constrictor as a pet,” Hargitay, 60, wrote alongside photos taken as the actress closed her eyes as the snake slithered across her face. “I know I know… I got to hold this beautiful creature yesterday. It brought me right back!”
She added a sea of other hashtags, including “#SnakeKisses #Snake #SnakeLife #Trust #SnakeCharmer” and “#AlbinoSnake” — the latter appearing to be a reference to the snake she had as a child.
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Timeline of Mariska Hargitay and Peter Hermann’s relationship
Commenters were quick to share their fears, with one writing: “Oh my god I’d be terrified but somehow you look like a cute fluffy kitten.”
But Hargitay later edited her post, giving them some peace. By the way, I read all these comments from everyone who is so afraid of snakes and I guarantee you that if you were with me I would hold your hand and you could do it too”, she wrote.
This seems to have stirred other emotions in Hargitay’s fans. “Guys if Olivia Benson held my hand while holding a snake I would cry,” said one of her followers.
Hargitay almost cried herself when she faced her fears while holding the tarantula.
She shared that story on Instagram on Tuesday. “And this happened…let’s just say I was terrified, but I decided to #FeelTheFearAndDoItAnyway,” Hargitay explained. “I’ve been afraid of spiders and tarantulas all my life.”
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It turned out that Hargitay easily overcame those fears. “I never in a million years thought I would be able to hold him and I sat there and realized that I could overcome that perceived obstacle – that it was just pure fear and there was no real danger,” she said. .
In the photo, Hargitay was sitting on a chair while holding a large tarantula in her palms. Wearing glasses, she looked relaxed and focused as she held the icing on the spider.
“I needed a minute for my rational mind to deal with my fear and I gave myself space, and I waited until I was ready… and then I was,” Hargitay continued in her caption. “Fear is something you have to come to terms with. Fear is such an amazing teacher. It was a very nice experience to overcome that, and to be healed by nature and allow this little miracle creature to feel safe and in my arms.”
She added: “Feeling their nails was the sweetest thing. I NEVER thought I’d say that. It feels like such a monumental moment of growth. PS He fell asleep in my hand. #WeCanDoHardThings.”
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Source: HIS Education