Blue Bloods actress Vanessa Ray has opened up about how Law & Order: SVU icon Mariska Hargitay’s husband Peter Hermann helped guide her through the adoption process. Ray, who portrays Eddie Janko-Reagan on the hit CBS police drama, recently adopted a baby boy named Isaac with her husband Landon Beard after being inspired by a family dinner scene on the show.
Ray explained that she suddenly felt an “overwhelming sensation of family” while filming the dinner scene, prompting her to call her husband and tell him she thought they were meant to adopt. Seeking advice, Ray confided in her Blue Bloods co-star Bridget Moynahan, who plays Erin Reagan. Moynahan suggested Ray reach out to Hermann, even though the two had never worked together.
Hermann, who is married to SVU legend Mariska Hargitay, graciously offered guidance to Ray and her husband as he and Hargitay had adopted two of their three children themselves. The couple adopted daughter Amaya in April 2011 and son Andrew in October 2011. They also have a biological son named August.
According to Ray, Hermann “really held our hand and walked us through everything that we would need to know about adoption.” She said he explained the process can be like “a lot of first dates almost” with “a ton of heartbreak that comes along with it.” After consulting with Hermann, Ray and her husband spent a year preparing paperwork and finding an attorney.
Just four weeks before her due date, they were matched with Isaac’s birth mother. “It went super fast. She was like, ‘He’s due in four weeks, so we have to do this quickly.’ We were like, ‘Whoa, okay’,” Ray recalled. “It all happened in three weeks, really from zero to three weeks. Then we were bringing him out and it was incredible.”
Isaac ended up coming a week earlier than expected, born on November 7th. Ray said the experience was a “whirlwind” but that Hermann’s guidance helped prepare them. “We had his room ready, we had all the stuff we needed because we were able to get so much information ahead of time,” she shared.
At 42 years old, Ray is relishing motherhood thanks in part to the supportive Blue Bloods family. “We’ve gotten so much great advice from the cast, crew, everyone. It’s been amazing,” she said. Ray’s character Eddie married Jamie Reagan, played by Will Estes, in the season 9 finale.
Sadly, after 14 seasons Blue Bloods is coming to an end. CBS announced the current season will be the show’s last, splitting it into two parts with the final 8 episodes expected to air in Fall 2024.
But Ray will take away memories of an incredible on and off-screen family. Thanks to Hermann’s mentorship, she is now raising a baby boy with husband Landon. Her Blue Bloods TV family helped inspire her desire for motherhood. And her real family, including new son Isaac, continues to grow.
