Mariska Hargitay and Ice-T react to Kelli Giddish's 'Law & Order: Special Victims Unit' return

By Sophia Soto | Last updated Jun 11, 2025 11:01 AM ET

Fans aren't the only ones excited about Kelli Giddish returning as a series regular for season 27; her Law & Order: Special Victims Unit co-stars Mariska Hargitay and Ice-T are ready to have her back on the squad.

"She is a formidable actress and an incredibly creative partner and has been such a joy and huge part of the fabric of SVU,” Hargitay told Deadline. "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."

Meanwhile, Ice-T said to TVLine, "Kelli is dope. Me and her were teammates and partners," adding, "I fell in love with Kelli as a person. She’s just a sweetheart."

Dick Wolf's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is the longest-running live-action primetime series in the history of American television. Hargitay serves as an executive producer and leads as Captain Olivia Benson, who is the longest-running female character in a primetime live-action TV series.

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Giddish was on the show as Amanda Rollins for 12 years before leaving in season 24. However, she has guest-starred since. "No one really expected her to leave the show. We got blindsided by that. But the fans said they wanted to see Kelli back, so she’s coming back," Ice-T expressed.

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. 

Season 27 will be losing both Octavio Pisano and Juliana Martinez, who portrayed Detective Joe Velasco and Detective Kate Silva. The new season will be part of NBC's fall schedule lineup, but a premiere date has not yet been announced. All episodes 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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