Kelli Giddish to Exit ‘Law & Order: SVU’: Season 24 Will ‘Be My Last’
“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” is losing a detective. Kelli Giddish, who portrays Amanda Rollins on the NBC drama, will depart during the upcoming 24th season. She will be in at least the premiere episode. Exact details regarding her exit were not provided by the network. (Here’s what we know about why the exit is happening now.)
In a statement from Giddish provided by NBC, she 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.”
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She continued, “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. 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.”
Giddish joined “SVU” in 2011 for Season 13 following Christopher Meloni’s departure. The series stars Mariska Hargitay as Captain Olivia Benson, Ice-T as Sergeant Fin Tutuola, Peter Scanavino as ADA Sonny Carisi, Octavio Pisano as Joe Velasco and Molly Burnett as Detective Grace Muncy. After years of being partners, Rollins and Carisi became a couple at the beginning of Season 23.
“Rollisi will have a happy ending. Stay tuned,” producer Julie Martin tweeted following the news.
On Wednesday, NBC announced that for the first time, all three “Law & Order” casts — “SVU” along with “Organized Crime” and the flagship show — will come together for a three-hour crossover event on Sept. 22. The premiere, written by Rick Eid and Gwen Sigan, will follow as Det. Frank Cosgrove (Jeffrey Donovan) and Det. Jalen Shaw (Mehcad Brooks) track down a young girl’s killer. As the case gets more complicated, Olivia Benson and Det. Elliot Stabler (Meloni) are called in to help. After key evidence reveals an international crime ring, Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston) and ADA Nolan Price (Hugh Dancy) seek justice.
Giddish began her television career in 2005, playing Di Henry on ABC’s “All My Children.” She went on to appear as a guest star on “The Good Wife,” and land series regular roles on Fox’s “Past Life” and NBC’s “Chase” before taking on the role of Rollins. She also appeared in multiple episodes of “SVU” spinoffs “Chicago Fire” and “Chicago P.D.”
She is repped by CAA.
“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” is produced by Universal Television, in association with Wolf Entertainment. Hargitay, Dick Wolf, David Graziano, Julie Martin, Norberto Barba, Ken Brown, Arthur Forney and Peter Jankowski executive produce.
Season 24 premieres on NBC Thursday, September 22, at 9 p.m. ET.
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