Mariska Hargitay, best known for her role as Detective Olivia Benson on Law and Order: SVU, has suffered a collapsed lung, according to a rep for the actress.  As of this moment, it is unknown how she endured the collapsed lung, but it may have been a result of a buildup of air in the space between the lung and chest wall.  It can also be caused by a chest injury like a puncture wound or a broken rib, but can occur without injury.

“Mariska Hargitay has been sidelined with a pneumothorax [a partially collapsed lung],” her representative Gary Mantoosh told Access Hollywood exclusively.

Despite the injury, “she will appear in all episodes for the rest of the season of Law and Order: SVU,” her rep added.

According to TMZ, Hargitay suffered a partially collapsed lung over the Christmas holiday and it collapsed again yesterday.  She has reportedly been readmitted to the hospital.

Mariska Hargitay has appeared on numerous television programs, including Freddy's Nightmares, Ellen, All American Girl, Baywatch, Cracker, Gabriel's Fire, In the Heat of the Night, JoJo's Circus, The Single Guy, Wiseguy, and thirtysomething.  As a result of her casting on Law and Order: SVU, she has been named the "highest paid TV actress" working today in the Guinness Book of World Records 2008 Edition.

The 44-year-old actress was recently nominated for a Golden Globe award for Best Actress in a television drama.  Hargitay was one of several nominated actors, Milk's James Franco and Sean Penn, who did not appear at the Golden Globes on Sunday night.  The injury was most likely the reason why the SVU actress was a no-show at the event.  On the other hand, she lost out to Anna Paquin for her performance on HBO's True Blood.

Law and Order: SVU airs every Tuesday on NBC.


-Kris De Leon, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: TMZ, Access Hollywood
(Image courtesy of NBC)