Explained- What happened to Molly Burnett's Grace Muncy in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit?

Molly Burnett, who plays Detective Grace Muncy on the long-running crime drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, will not be a series regular anymore. She was on the show for just one season. During the season finale of the latest season, her onscreen character told Joe Velasco that she was being awarded a place on a DEA task force after her dedication to the Elias Olsen case.

On the Thursday, May 18, 2023, episode, we saw Fin hugging Muncy and bidding her farewell. He even added that he was going to miss her as Muncy packed up her desk and left to start a new journey in her career.

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Molly Burnett's Detective Grace Muncy joined Law & Order: Special Victims Unit in July 2022

Molly Burnett made her show debut on the second episode of season 24, titled The One You Feed. By the time the season reached its seventh episode, she had become a show regular.

The reason behind her departure hasn't been revealed, and neither has her social media activity given fans the reason for her exit. The 35-year-old is best known for her portrayal of Melanie Jonas on NBC’s Days of Our Lives. She is also known for her role in Queen of the South as Kelly Anne Van Awken. She has even received two Daytime Emmy Award nominations for the former.

Muncy’s final interaction with Joe Velasco has an extended cut. The footage was shared on Twitter by Wolf Entertainment on Friday.

In an interview with TV Insider earlier this year, the actress spoke candidly about her character. When the interviewer asked her if she thought Grace Muncy was cynical and always looking for a fight, she agreed.

She said,

“I would say that’s true. Her mom died when she was really young and she was kind of forced to take care of her little brother, who’ll we meet. When you lose a parent like that, and you’re in a tough part of the city, you grow up really fast. It’s fun to play this kind of badass character with work to do on her emotional EQ.”

When asked about her experience starring in the show, she said,

“My mom passed away young, and I know that this was one of her favorite shows. So that fact that I’m on SVU, I feel she played a part in that somehow. Something really cool that happened is that showrunner David [Graziano] let me wear on screen the Serenity Prayer necklace that my real-life brother and I both wear. It’s our mom watching over us.”

She concluded the interview by saying,

“When they brought Muncy’s brother on the show, I asked if he was OK with Teddy wearing the necklace, and he said, “Absolutely!” So Teddy and Grace Muncy both wear the necklace for their mom and, in turn, I wear it for my mom and I just think that’s such a fun little Easter Egg.”

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Law & Order: Special Victims Unit synopsis

According to Rotten Tomatoes, the synopsis of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit reads,

"This groundbreaking series from executive producer Dick Wolf's "Law & Order" franchise chronicles the ripped-from-the-headlines investigations of the NYPD's Special Victims Unit. Led by courageous and compassionate Capt. Olivia Benson, this elite team includes Sgt. Odafin Tutuola, Detective Amanda Rollins, Officer Katriona Tamin and Deputy Chief Christian Garland, who focus on finding justice for the victims of the city's worst crimes. Assisting them is ADA Sonny Carisi, who seeks justice for SVU's victims and survivors with passion and precision."

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit was created by Dick Wolf and stars Mariska Hargitay, Ice-T, Peter Scanavino, Octavio Pisano, and several others.