Law & Order: Special Victims Unit fans are used to characters coming and going, but the departure of 12-year veteran Kelli Giddish is striking a chord in the community. On Wednesday, Giddish announced that the upcoming Season 24 will be her last as Det. Amanda Rollins, who had grown to become a beloved part of the SVU team. The news came the same day NBC released the trailer for the Season 24 premiere, which will be part of a three-show crossover with Law & Order and Law & Order: Organized Crime.
It is unclear how many Season 24 episodes Giddish will appear in. Sources told TVLine her last episode will air during the first half of the new season. An insider told the outlet that Rollins will experience a “traumatic” event early in the season, but it’s not known if this will lead to her exit.
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Whatever the reason, the exit is sure to cause heartbreak for A.D.A. Dominick “Sonny” Carisi, played by Peter Scanavino. Since Carisi was introduced, he and Rollins have been in a will-they, won’t-they relationship before they finally got together in Season 23. SVU writer Julie Martin promised a “happy ending” for the couple.
SVU Season 24 kicks off on Thursday, Sept. 22 at 9 p.m. ET, with the second part of the franchise crossover. Read on to see how fans responded to Giddish’s decision to leave the show and what she had to say about it.
‘Shocked and sad! Why?’
“I wanted to address the chatter I’ve seen online and let everyone know that this will, indeed, be my last season on Law & Order: SVU,” Giddish wrote on Instagram. “Playing Rollins has been one of the greatest joys and privileges of my life. I’ve been so fortunate to be a part of the Law & Order family for the last 12 years. There is simply no other character on TV like Rollins. She’s grown and changed, and I have as well. I started on this show when I was in my late 20s and I’m grateful I got to spend so many of my adult years with Rollins in my life.”
‘Big mistake’
“I want to thank Dick Wolf, Mariska Hargitay, Warren Leight, Peter Jankowski, NBC, Universal Television, all of my co-stars, every single member on the crew and all the writers here for our incredible work together these last 12 years,” Giddish continued. “I’m so excited to take all the things I have learned in my time on SVU and put them toward everything that’s next to come.”
‘I don’t want to watch Liv lose anyone else’
“I’m sad to read this as I absolutely love Rollins,” one fan wrote on Instagram. “I really don’t know what else to say other than you’ll be missed and I wish you all the best for the future. For now…..I look forward to seeing what this season has in store for Rollins…..and for #Rollisi!”
‘Gonna miss Rolivia’
While many viewers are concerned about Rollisi’s future, others are worried about how Rollins’ departure will affect Mariska Hargitay’s Capt. Olivia Benson. In the 12 years since Rollins joined the show, the two characters have become close friends.
‘This makes no sense’
“We will miss you so so much, but I can’t wait to see what comes next for you,” one fan wrote on Instagram.
‘When Rollins goes, I go’
SVU was already making moves to fill a possibly open detective slot. In July, TVLine reported that Molly Burnett (Days of Our Lives) was cast as Det. Grace Muncy. The character’s experience comes from working among violent gangs.
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