Ahead of Kelli Giddish’s highly-anticipated return as a series regular on Law & Order: SVU, Ice-T is recalling finding out about her surprise exit.
Giddish exited the long-running NBC drama in December 2022 during Season 24 after joining as Detective Amanda Rollins in Season 13.
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Her exit caused quite the stir when it happened, especially since no one was expecting it. Ice-T, who has played Fin Tutuola since Season 2, felt the same way. He told TVLine that no one on the cast “really expected her to leave the show.” He continued, “We got blindsided by that. But the fans said they wanted to see Kelli back, so she’s coming back.”
Although Giddish has made several appearances since her exit, it was recently announced that she will be back full-time in the upcoming 27th season. It’s what fans and the cast have been waiting for, including Mariska Hargitay. She’s made her stance about Giddish’s exit very clear, and even pushed to keep her on the show.
“She is a formidable actress and an incredibly creative partner and has been such a joy and huge part of the fabric of SVU,” Hargitay told Deadline just days after news broke of Giddish’s return. “I love her, and I love acting with her and co-creating with her, and it feels like home with her. So, I am ecstatic about her return.”
As of now, details surrounding Giddish’s return are unknown. On SVU, Amanda is now a Sergeant with the Intelligence Unit for the NYPD, but considering Special Victims will be down two detectives after Juliana Martinez and Octavio Pisano’s departures, it couldn’t hurt to add at least one more detective. Who better than someone familiar with the team?
A premiere date for Season 27 of Law & Order: SVU has not been announced, but that will likely come later this summer. The series will be coming back in the fall on NBC, and sticking to its usual slot on Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET, following Law & Order. All episodes are streaming on Peacock for anyone who wants to catch up before the new season starts.
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NEW YORK CITY – DECEMBER 19: "Toil and Trouble" – Elsbeth is thrown into the world of television after the showrunner of a long-running police procedural is brutally murdered in his office, and although it appears to be the act of a disgruntled fan, she begins to suspect the show's longtime star Regina Coburn (Laurie Metcalf) who yearns for artistic fulfillment. Meanwhile, Judge Crawford (Michael Emerson) continues to be a thorn in Elsbeth's side, on the CBS original series ELSBETH, Thursday, Dec. 19 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+ (live and on demand for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers, or on demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the episode airs). Pictured (L-R): Carrie Preston as Elsbeth Tascioni and Carra Patterson as Kaya Blanke. (Photo by Michael Parmelee/CBS via Getty Images)
