‘Law & Order: SVU’ Showrunner Responds to Fan Outcry After Kelli Giddish’s Exit Announcement

Law & Order: SVU fans are preparing to say goodbye to Det. Amanda Rollins. Played by Kelli Giddish, Rollins has been a staple on the show since Season 13, and fans have watched her journey in the tight-knit crew, both personally and professionally. Giddish confirmed the news in an Instagram post after several reports surfaced online, and now the show’s showrunner is speaking out amid fan outcry.

Responding to angry fans in the comments section of Giddish’s departure announcement, new showrunner David Graziano stepped in to offer some level of explanation, hinting that it may not have been Giddish’s decision to leave. “You might take a moment to entertain the idea that things are more complex than they appear in a world of emojis and tweets. All I’ll say is Kelli has handled this with the most incredibly classy comportment,” he wrote. “She is, without a doubt, one of the finest industry professionals I’ve come across in my 24 years of writing television. I’m saddened by her looming exit. It’ll be my lucky day if I ever get to write for her again.”

In her announcement earlier in the day, Giddish wrote, “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.’ 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.”

Graziano replaced Warren Leight as showrunner at the helm of a spinoff. TVLine reports that something traumatic will trigger Rollin’s exit, seemingly severely impacting her love interest Peter Scanavino’s Carisi.

Comments of support poured in for Giddish. “Always a member of the Wolfpack. Thank you,” Wolf Entertainment wrote in the post. Rapper Ice T commented several heart emojis to his longtime co-star.