Joyful Heart in the News

Getting emotional at times, Mariska Hargitay discussed her journey from actress to sexual assault and abuse advocate Wednesday at the National Press Club. "I just want to say when I started out on this journey, I was an actress and very happy that I had just landed a gig on a TV show -- truly," the "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" star said.

Hargitay, along with "Twilight" actress Ashley Greene, spent Wednesday in Washington debuting a new symbol -- a broad blue circle -- that would represent "No More," the movement to end domestic violence and sexual assault in the United States.

"Peace has its peace sign, and the red ribbon demands action for AIDS, and the pink ribbon has changed the way we think about breast cancer, and now, our collective commitment to end sexual assault and domestic violence, it now has its own symbol, its sign, its beacon," she said. "It's a moment. A big one. A big chance," she said, trying to hold it together.

Hargitay lightened up the mood by talking about hanging out with her "hero," Vice President Biden, at a morning news conference calling to reduce domestic violence homicides. "I whipped out my cellphone and took a selfie with the VP," she laughed.