NBC

'Law & Order' loses cast member while 'SVU' ups one actor to series regular

By Sophia Soto | Last updated Jul 21, 2025 5:05 PM ET

As we get ready for new seasons of both Law & Order and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit for NBC's fall television season, some casting shake-ups have been revealed.

Sadly, Mehcad Brooks, who has played Detective Jalen Shaw for three seasons, will be leaving Law & Order ahead of season 25. Deadline reports that "the parting of the ways was mutual, with Brooks already exploring other opportunities."

Law & Order, one of television’s most treasured and honored dramas, is known for its unique bifurcated format and examines “the police who investigate crime and the district attorneys who prosecute the offenders.”

Hugh Dancy, Tony Goldwyn, Odelya Halevi, Reid Scott, and Maura Tierney will all be returning.

Meanwhile, Aimé Donna Kelly, who has recurred as Captain Renee Curry since 2020 and appeared in 29 episodes, will officially be a series regular in season 27 of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit!

This comes after some other major casting news, including the fact that Kelli Giddish will be back as Amanda Rollins in a series regular capacity, while Octavio Pisano and Juliana Martinez, who played Detective Joe Velasco and Detective Kate Silva, will not be returning.

SVU follows the lives of the Special Victims Unit of the New York City Police Department, an elite squad of detectives who investigate crimes of sexual assault, child abuse, and domestic violence. 

Both shows were created by Dick Wolf, with SVU earning the title of the longest-running live-action primetime series in the history of American TV. Mariska Hargitay serves as an executive producer and stars as Captain Olivia Benson, who is the longest-running female character in a primetime live-action television series. The cast also includes Ice-T, Peter Scanavino, and Kevin Kane.

All episodes of Law & Order and SVU are streaming on Peacock.

Sophia Soto

Sophia Soto is a writer and interviewer with a passion for all things entertainment. She is a Senior Reporter at The Nerds of Color and contributes to Yardbarker, Screensphere, Den of Geek, What to Watch, Nerdtropolis, and Temple of Geek. You can see her past work on Remezcla, Young Hollywood, Looper, Paste Magazine, Primetimer, Soundsphere, and Starry Constellation Magazine

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