Melissa McCarthy Disclosed Her Viral Mariska Hargitay Moment’s Backstory

Melissa McCarthy, an Oscar nominee and Cat Oscar supporter, went viral in July after being spotted outside a Wienerschnitzel in Los Angeles with a placard asking cars to pray for fellow actress Mariska Hargitay, who had injured her ankle. It was a fun Mad Libs news piece that was both strange and heartwarming. According to The Hollywood Reporter, she ultimately revealed the backstory a month later.

On Monday’s The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, the actress said it all stemmed from Hargitay giving her crap. Hargitay had recently injured her ankle and she had been telling McCarthy about it over text. But, McCarthy admitted, she’s a terrible texter who forgets to check her phone. Eventually a flustered Hargitay texted her, “Oh, don’t worry. I’m just here in a lot of pain, recovering. I guess you’re too busy to respond to my texts.”

That was sufficient. McCarthy acted quickly, driving to America’s finest hot dog chain with a botched German name and standing on the sidewalk with a placard reading “Honk if you’re PRAYING for Mariska Hargitay’s recovery.” McCarthy waving the sign in front of a symphony of honks went viral and was broadcast on the news. Melissa McCarthy, in a nutshell, is a poor texter and a fantastic friend.