Law & Order SVU: How are fans reacting to Kelli Giddish's exit?

Disclaimer: This article may contain spoilers.

On Thursday, December 8, 2022, Kelli Giddish made her final appearance as NYPD Detective Amanda Rollins on Law & Order: SVU. Titled And a Trauma in a Pear Tree, the episode was directed by Norberto Barba.

The episode, written by showrunner David Graziano and co-executive producer Julie Martin, featured a touching farewell for Kelli Giddish and Rollins that left fans both emotional and happy.

They took to social media to share their feelings over Rollins’ departure. Some disappointed viewers commented that her wedding scene with her longtime love ADA Sonny Carisi, Jr (Peter Scanavino) "deserved to be longer."

On Thursday, Kelli Giddish took to Instagram to express her gratitude for all the love and support her character has received. Her social media post contained a black-and-white photo featuring her and castmate Mariska Hargitay. In her Instagram note on Thursday, Kelli Giddish wrote:

“To everyone who supported Rollins – THANK YOU!”

To note, Hargitay plays the character of captain Olivia Benson on the NBC series and is also one of the executive producers.

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You will be missed Rollins, fans say after Kelli Giddish bows out

Giddish delivered her final performance as Rollins on Law & Order: SVU in the penultimate episode of season 24. Viewers took to Twitter to express their feelings after the episode aired.

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SVU‘s showrunner, Hargitay bid farewell to Giddish

Hargitay, who is also a very close friend of the actress apart from being a co-star, wrote a long farewell note on Instagram that read:

“Kelli, I’ve loved acting, learning, growing, talking, laughing and crying with you. I’ve loved watching your achingly beautiful performances. I’ve loved watching our friendship deepen and grow and blossom. I’ve loved every single minute of it, and I will miss you so much. You have my respect, my gratitude and my love forever.”

Meanwhile, SVU's longtime showrunner Warren Leight wrote:

“When we first started writing for [Kelli Giddish], I wondered if there was anything she couldn’t do. Emotion, exposition, authority, vulnerability, empathy… I soon realized, no matter what we came up with, she’d always make it work, seemingly without effort. It’s been a privilege.”

Even though Giddish’s Rollins will no longer appear on the crime drama, her character will return in Law & Order: Organized Crime, a spin-off of SVU. For the unversed, Kelli was a recurring cast member in the third season of Law & Order: Organized Crime.

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Why did Giddish leave Law & Order: SVU?

While the reason behind Giddish’s sudden exit is still unknown, sources claim that neither she nor Graziano wanted the character's run on the popular procedural drama to end.

As per a report in Variety, Giddish’s goodbye from the show was a decision “made from above.” Further, multiple sources told the publication that the “shake-up” happened because:

“The company is always looking to keep the show as up-to-date and current as possible.”

According to reports, Hargitay tried in vain to keep Giddish on the show. Giddish, for her part, confirmed Rollins' departure from the show on Instagram in August 2022.

Calling “Playing Rollins has been one of the greatest joys and privileges of my life,” Giddish elaborated on how she has also “grown and changed” along with the character.

To note, the season 24 finale, Jumped In, will premiere on January 5, 2023. Martha Mitchell will direct this episode, based on Brendan Feeney and Monet Hurst-Mendoza’s teleplay and Terry Serpico-Kadia Saraf’s story.