Joyful Heart in the News

USA Network, the longtime home to those addictive Law & Order: SVU marathons, is teaming up with series star Mariska Hargitay for a new marathon to raise awareness of and to help stop domestic violence and sexual assault, TVGuide.com has learned exclusively.

To commemorate National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention month, and in partnership with Hargitay's Joyful Heart charitable foundation and the No More campaign, USA will air a special 16-hour SVU "No More Excuses" marathon hosted by Hargitay and her SVU co-stars Ice-T, Danny Pino and Kelli Giddish.

"I am grateful to USA for their courage, vision and generosity in joining us to say NO MORE to domestic violence and sexual assault," Hargitay said in a statement. "Being part of NO MORE from the beginning has been a great privilege. Society continues to misplace shame and blame on survivors — both women and men. That has to end. NO MORE confronts the myths and excuses that perpetuate domestic violence and sexual assault. I am filled with confidence and renewed determination that, together, we can and will put an end to this violence."

The marathon, which kicks off Sunday, April 27 at 10 a.m./9c, will also feature PSAs starring SVU alumni such as Christopher Meloni, Debra Messing, Dann Florek, Maria Bello, Andre Braugher, Marcia Gay Harden, Blair Underwood, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Peter Hermann and David Marciano.

Throughout the marathon, viewers will be encouraged to seek out additional information online, or to call national help hotlines to speak with counselors and advocates. More information on the No More campaign, which aims to end the social stigma surrounding domestic violence and sexual assault, can be found here.

Check out Hargitay and Ice-T's promo for Sunday's "No More Excuses" marathon here:

Law & Order: SVU's "No More Excuses" marathon starts Sunday at 10 a.m./9c on USA.