Kelli Giddish and Mariska Hargitay Reunite in Exciting 'Law and Order SVU' Announcement
Kelli Giddish makes an exciting comeback to 'Law and Order SVU' for season 25, delighting fans after her departure in season 24
Courtesy of Mariska Hargitay/Instagram
Kelli Giddish is returning to Law & Order: SVU.
The 43-year-old actress portrayed Detective Amanda Rollins on the enduring crime drama for 12 years before leaving in the middle of season 24, as confirmed by Mariska Hargitay (Detective Olivia Benson). In the Instagram video posted on Tuesday, November 28, the colleagues danced to Paul Russell’s track "Lil Boo Thang" in character.
Hargitay, 59, captioned the video with "Back with my little boo thang."
Fans expressed their excitement in the comments, with one writing "Omg I love y’all ️" and another saying "Can’t wait to see the new season." The official Instagram account for the network that airs the series, NBC, commented, "This is everything to me right now."
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A post shared by Mariska (@therealmariskahargitay)
Giddish revealed her departure from Law and Order: SVU in August 2022, just one month before the premiere of season 24.
Addressing the rumors circulating online, the All My Children alum took to Instagram to confirm that the upcoming season would be her final one on the show. "Playing Rollins has been one of the greatest joys and privileges of my life," she expressed. "I’ve been so fortunate to be a part of the Law and Order family for the last 12 years."
Reflecting on her time on the show, she added, "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."
Kelli Giddish as Det. Amanda Rollins and Mariska Hargitay as Capt. Olivia Benson Zach Dilgard/NBC
Giddish ended the post by stating, "I can't wait to apply everything I've learned during my time on SVU to whatever comes next."
Later, the show's creator, David Graziano, acknowledged fans' disappointment about Giddish's departure.
During an interview with TVLine, he suggested taking a moment to consider the complexity of things beyond the world of emojis and tweets. He praised Kelli for her graceful handling of the situation and described her as one of the most professional industry professionals he has encountered in his 24 years of writing television. He expressed sadness about her upcoming departure and expressed hope that he would have the opportunity to write for her again in the future.
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Check out this great deal! Giddish became a main cast member of Law & Order: SVU in 2011, and had previously appeared as a victim in a season 8 episode in 2007. She made her return as Rollins in the season finale in May, which was a crossover event with Law & Order and Law & Order: Organized Crime.
During that episode, her character was pregnant, coincidentally reflecting Giddish’s actual pregnancy. At that time, the actress was expecting her third child and her first with spouse Beau Richards, whom she wed in November 2021.
