USA Network Teams with Mariska Hargitay, her Joyful Heart Foundation, the NO MORE Campaign and NFL Players to Commemorate National Domestic Violence Awareness Month

EXCLUSIVE NEW CONTENT UNVEILED DURING A 14-HOUR ‘LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT’ “NO MORE EXCUSES” MARATHON ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25 

NEW SPOTS PRODUCED BY USA AND THE NFL INCLUDE HARGITAY, CLEVELAND BROWNS’ ANDREW HAWKINS, DALLAS COWBOYS’ JASON WITTEN, NEW YORK GIANTS’ MARK HERZLICH, NEW ORLEANS SAINTS’ BEN WATSON AND PITTSBURGH STEELERS’ WILLIAM GAY

NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 22, 2015 – On Sunday, October 25th, USA Network is teaming with Mariska Hargitay, the Joyful Heart Foundation, the NO MORE campaign, and NFL players to host a special “Law & Order: SVU” NO MORE Excuses Marathon in commemoration of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The marathon will feature 14 powerful episodes wrapped with newly filmed interstitials, PSAs and digital content throughout the day. The new interstitial campaign features Hargitay and NFL stars -- including William Gay (Pittsburgh Steelers), Andrew Hawkins (Cleveland Browns), Mark Herzlich (New York Giants), Ben Watson (New Orleans Saints) and Jason Witten (Dallas Cowboys) – encouraging everyone to “get off the sidelines” to help stop domestic violence and sexual assault.  

“I’m proud and heartened to stand with USA and NFL players to say NO MORE to domestic violence and sexual assault,” said Mariska Hargitay. “Being part of NO MORE from the beginning has been a great privilege. We must confront the myths and excuses surrounding—and perpetuating—domestic violence and sexual assault. Together, we can bring an end to this violence.” 

During each episode of the 14-hour SVU marathon, viewers will be encouraged to take a pledge to get involved at NOMORE.org and seek additional information from  national hotlines and other resources.  Throughout the day, USA, Joyful Heart, and NO MORE also will use social media platforms to encourage conversation and inspire greater action to stop and prevent domestic violence and sexual assault. People can follow and join the dialogue by using #NOMOREexcuses.

NO MORE is a public awareness campaign designed to engage bystanders around ending domestic violence and sexual assault. In addition to the new content broadcast during Sunday's marathon, PSAs created by Y&R, produced by Joyful Heart, directed by Hargitay and featuring celebrities, public figures and athletes will air. These PSAs highlight the myths and excuses that create misplaced blame on survivors and allow perpetrators to escape accountability will also air. The goal of all the NO MORE PSAs is to help normalize the conversation and break the social stigma surrounding domestic violence and sexual assault. By increasing visibility and fostering more dialogue, NO MORE seeks to change social norms, improve public policies, and generate more resources to prevent domestic violence and sexual assault.

USA has been a leading champion of the effort to stop domestic violence and sexual assault, teaming with Joyful Heart and NO MORE over a year ago to create the “NO MORE Excuses” SVU marathons. Throughout six marathons held since April 2014, more than 25 million viewers have tuned in and gotten critical information and support. The National Sexual Assault Hotline operated by RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network), the National Domestic Violence Hotline and other NO MORE coalition partners have seen tremendous increases in calls and website traffic during each marathon. For example, during the April 2014 marathon, the National Sexual Assault Hotline saw a 106% increase in the number of people helped; the National Domestic Violence Hotline had a 21% increase in calls; 1in6.org experienced a 116.2% increase in web traffic and the NO MORE website received a 2,463% surge in traffic. In addition, the hashtags #sayNOMORE, #NOMORE and #NOMOREexcuses trended nationally during the marathon.

EPISODE DESCRIPTIONS: 

9:00AM - DISROBED (Season 1, Episode 13) – Detective Benson (Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) investigate the murder of a judge who often delivered special verdicts for women in return for sexual favors and was also behind the funding of a local governor's bid for re-election. 

10:00AM - ASUNDER (Season 2, Episode 7) – The truth behind the alleged rape of a woman by her police officer husband comes to light when a history of domestic abuse is uncovered.

11:00AM - JUSTICE (Season 3, Episode 19) – Detectives Benson (Hargitay) and Stabler (Meloni) investigate the rape and murder of the stepdaughter of a judge known for his harsh sentencing of sex-offenders. 

12:00PM - CARE (Season 3, Episode 9) – When the battered body of a murdered 5-year-old girl in foster care is discovered, Detectives Benson (Hargitay) and Stabler (Meloni) must explore a complex array of family connections in their search for a motive and murderer. 

1:00PM - PERSONA (Season 10, Episode 8) – All of Benson (Hargitay) and Stabler's (Meloni) work exposing the truth surrounding a false rape report may be lost when the victim recants her testimony.

2:00PM – HOTHOUSE (Season 10, Episode 12) – When a teenager's body is uncovered in the Hudson River, the detectives search for the victim's identity, which leads Benson (Hargitay) to go undercover as a madam.

3:00PM - BALLERINA (Season 10, Episode 16) – The scene of a single murder soon turns into a scene of three deaths, sending Benson (Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni)  to work with a strip club owner to track down the killer before more bodies pile up.

4:00PM – HARDWIRED (Season 11, Episode 5) – The team makes a deal with a man who molested his stepson in exchange for information that could put away the leader of a molesters' advocate group, but is the victim's mother strong enough to not jeopardize the investigation?

5:00PM - POP (Season 12, Episode 11) – While investigating a boy's death, Stabler (Hargitay) uncovers a teenage fighting ring and tries to reach out to one of the fighters, who is being abused and forced to participate by his cruel stepfather.

6:00PM - BULLY (Season 12, Episode 18) – When an art patron, Cindi (LuAnn de Lesseps), discovers a gruesome work of art, it leads gallery visitors to find a woman dead in her apartment building. Detectives Benson (Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) look into the victim's personal contacts in search of suspects, including the victim's close friend Annette Cole (Kate Burton). 

7:00PM – VALENTINES DAY (Season 13, Episode 18) – A Wall Street executive watches an intruder assault and abduct his wife while video chatting on his way home from a business trip. The kidnappers demand ransom, and Detectives Benson (Hargitay), Amaro (Danny Pino), Rollins (Kelli Giddish), and Tutuola (Ice-T) and Assistant District Attorney Casey Novak (Diane Neal) dig deeper to find out who the real victim is in this increasingly complicated case.

8:00PM – BORN PSYCHOPATH (Season 14, Episode 19) – When a school nurse notices several injuries on a young girl, the SVU detectives are called in to investigate. A closer look at her family reveals a mother struggling to manage the violent outbursts of her nine year old son. 

9:00PM – RAPIST ANONYMOUS (Season 15, Episode 9) – Detective Rollins (Kelli Giddish) finds herself in the middle of a he-said she-said rape case.

10:00PM – SPOUSAL PRIVILEGE (Season 16, Episode 8) – Sergeant Benson (Hargitay) tries to help a domestic violence victim who stands by her man.

About USA Network: 

USA Network, the leader in cable entertainment, offers a powerful stable of dramatic, comedic and unscripted originals in more than 102 million U.S. homes.  The network also features spectacular live television, a dynamic portfolio of acquired series and the best in blockbuster theatrical films and entertainment events. A trailblazer in digital innovation and storytelling, USA is defining, driving and setting the industry standard for Social TV.  USA is a program service of NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment, a division of NBCUniversal. Watch USA Network anywhere: On Demand, online or across mobile and connected TVs. USA’s award-winning website is located at usanetwork.com.  Watch USA Network anywhere: On Demand, online or across mobile and connected TVs. 

About the Joyful Heart Foundation: 

Founded by Mariska Hargitay in 2004 to help survivors heal and reclaim joy in their lives, the Joyful Heart Foundation is a national organization with hubs of service in Los Angeles, New York and Honolulu. Its mission is to heal, educate and empower survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse, and to shed light into the darkness that surrounds these issues. For more information, please visit: joyfulheartfoundation.org. 

About NO MORE:

NO MORE is a public awareness campaign designed to engage bystanders around ending domestic violence and sexual assault. Launched in March 2013 by a coalition of leading advocacy groups, service providers and major corporations, NO MORE is supported by hundreds of national and local groups and by thousands of people who are using its signature blue symbol to increase visibility for these hidden issues. Learn more about NO MORE or download our free tools at nomore.org. 

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The mission of the Joyful Heart Foundation is to heal, educate and empower survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse, and to shed light into the darkness that surrounds these issues.