Mariska Hargitay Reacts to Kelli Giddish’s ‘Law & Order: SVU’ Return

Mariska Hargitay is speaking out about Kelli Giddish’s full-time return to Law & Order: SVU.

It was recently reported that Giddish will be a series regular on SVU’s 27^th season, after departing the drama as Amanda Rollins during Season 24.

Giddish has made occasional appearances since leaving as a series regular, but she will officially be back in a full-time role when SVU returns for Season 27 this fall. Her addition comes on the heels of Juliana Martinez and Octavio Pisano’s departures ahead of the new season. SVU was renewed for Season 27 earlier this month.

While speaking to Deadline at Cannes Film Festival for her directorial debut of her new documentary, My Mom Jayne, Hargitay shared her excitement at having Giddish fully back 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,” she said. “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.”

Hargitay has been open about Giddish’s exit, telling Variety in May 2024, “Kelli is my favorite actor to work with. Kelli is my heart. It’s a sore subject. I have a lot of say on the show, but I didn’t have enough there. I don’t like not being listened to, especially when I’m right. That relationship was one of the most powerful relationships in television because you saw these two badass women, so flawed and so there for each other.”

As of now, details surrounding Kelli Giddish’s return are unknown. Since Amanda is currently a sergeant and working with the Intelligence Unit, it’s unclear if she will be transitioning back to the Special Victims Unit or staying where she is. Since SVU will be down two detectives, it would make sense for her to come back. But fans will just have to wait and see what happens.

When Giddish’s exit was initially announced, it caused quite an uproar, especially since sources revealed that it came from NBC wanting to keep the show as fresh as possible. More than a few people, Hargitay included, allegedly pushed to keep her on the show, but the network wouldn’t budge. Luckily, it finally worked, and Hargitay and fans couldn’t be happier. A premiere date for Season 27 has yet to be announced, but the wait will be worth it, knowing that Giddish will be returning to SVU this fall.