Mariska Hargitay Reveals Christopher Meloni's Sweet Birthday Gift to Her

While Elliot Stabler and Olivia Benson fans eagerly await the Jan. 26 episode of "Law & Order: SVU" to see if the show's former partners finally kiss, Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni fans can rest easy knowing that no matter what happens onscreen, the real life pals will continue to be adorable offscreen. On Jan. 24, just one day after Meloni posted a unique message for Hargitay's birthday on his Instagram, the "SVU" star revealed he also sent her a beautiful bouquet of flowers.

"Hey Chris, Chris, you asked me if I knew what day it was yesterday," Hargitay says in a whisper in her video response to Meloni. "And I wasn't sure. But then I figured it out because I got these pretty flowers from you."

Hargitay then pulls back the camera to reveal a gorgeous bouquet of white flowers, as well as a bit of birthday garland. Her costar's gesture is made all the sweeter because of the wonderfully weird birthday message he sent his friend the day before.

The longtime costars have a special friendship — one that has been sustaining Benson and Stabler shippers for years — and it shined through in Meloni's birthday video for his pal. The "Law & Order: Organized Crime" star posted a video to his Instagram that looked like something out of a found-footage horror film. In the clip, he hld his phone so close to his face that only his eyes and the top of his head were visible.

"Marsha, are you there?" he whispered after a few seconds of silence. "Do you know what today is? I do. Happy . . . !" he said just as the camera cut out.

The "SVU" alum captioned his birthday video masterpiece, "Celebrate it Marsha." And no, he's not typing Marsha by mistake. During a 2022 interview on "Late Night With Seth Meyers," Hargitay revealed that Marsha is one of the many nicknames that Meloni has for her. "Oh, Marshmelon," Hargitay said when asked to explain the cute hashtag she and her costar often use on Instagram. "Chris calls me Marsha sometimes. One of the many names."

Hargitay later reshared his video in her Instagram Story alongside the far more conventional (but still sweet) posts from her other friends. Meanwhile, the Olivia Benson actor celebrated her birthday with an equally unusual post on her Instagram, illustrating why she and Meloni have such an enduring friendship in the process.

Hargitay's birthday post for herself features a large cherub surrounded by books and a bevvy of blue balloons. She captioned the pic, "#Mood #It'sGonnaBeAGreatDay #ThingsAreLookingUp #Open-heartOpenMind."

It didn't take long for her comments to fill up with messages from her famous pals wishing her a happy birthday. "Law & Order: Organized Crime" star Danielle Moné Truitt wrote, "Happy Birthday Girlfriend!!!" Meanwhile, Lindsay Lohan commented simply, "Happy Birthday 🎂🎊🎉!!!" And actor and singer Betty Buckley added, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEEAR MARISKA!! HAPPY BDAY TOOO YOOOUU!!?"

Still, when it comes to crafting a truly unforgettable birthday message (and sending a thoughtful gift for good measure), no one can top Meloni's efforts.