Mariska Hargitay Winded by Punctured Lung

Actress suffers a partially collapsed lung, will not miss any SVU

By Natalie Finn Jan 13, 2009 2:30 AMTags
Mariska HargitayDimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images

A breath of fresh air is hard to come by in the Special Victims Unit.

Mariska Hargitay is on the mend after suffering a pneumothorax—aka a partially collapsed lung—but will not miss out on any episodes of Law & Order: SVU this season, according to the Emmy-winning actress' rep.

It's unclear if some sort of trauma prompted the injury or if Hargitay suffered a spontaneous pneumothorax, which can occur if more air pressure builds up in a person's chest cavity than is present in the lungs.

Hargitay's rep said, however, that the 44-year-old wife and mom was not injured on the job and was in fact on vacation from SVU, the highest-rated installment in the L&O family, when it happened.

"Mariska is feeling better," read a statement issued by series creator Dick Wolf's company, Wolf Films. "We are looking forward to her quick recovery and return to set."

Hargitay was nominated this year for a Golden Globe for best actress in a TV drama but did not attend last night's ceremony. She won the honor in 2005.

Access Hollywood was first to report on Hargitay's condition.