Ice-T Says Cast Was ‘Blindsided’ by Kelli Giddish’s ‘Law & Order: SVU’ Departure

Although Giddish exited during Season 24, she’s set to return as a series regular for the upcoming 27th season.

June 10, 2025, 5:37pm

Pictured: (l-r) Kelli Giddish as Detective Amanda Rollins, Ice-T as Sergeant Odafin "Fin" Tutuola — (Photo by: Heidi Gutman/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

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.

Videos by PopCulture.com

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.”

Pictured: Kelli Giddish as Sgt. Amanda Rollins — (Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC)

Although Giddish has made several appearances since her exit, it was recently announced that she will be back full-time in the upcoming 27^th 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.