What role did Meagan Good play in Law & Order: SVU? Everything you need to know

Law & Order: SVU is a popular crime series that first premiered on NBC on September 20, 1999. It is the first spin-off of the original Law and Order series. The show feature detectives from the New York City Police Department who deal with s*xually based crimes as their specialty.

Meagan Good joined Law & Order: SVU in 2014 to play Paula Bryant in the episode Spousal Privilege. The episode showcases the challenges that Paula encounters during her domestic violence situation with her partner, an ex-football player and sportscaster.

---

Meagan Good's role as Paula Bryant in Law & Order: SVU

Meagan Good (Image via Getty)

In Law & Order: SVU season 16, episode 8, Spousal Privilege, Meagan Good played Paula Bryant, the girlfriend of A.J. Martin. The episode shows how A.J. physically attacked Paula in a the parking garage, according to the surveillance footage. The footage stood as essential proof of the domestic violence allegations against A.J. during his trial in court.

The video provided essential proof that investigators needed for their investigation. Though the police had proof that A.J. hit her, Paula wanted to hold her family together and refused to file an official report.

Throughout the episode, Paula explained that the fight was an accident and that she wanted to stay united as a family. She supported her partner by putting the responsibility on herself and reducing his role in the incident.

At the end of the episode, A.J. received a prison sentence of two years for reckless endangerment. Paula showed her frustration with the authorities because they interfered with her family life and ended her power to handle the problem.

---

Other notable events from Law & Order: SVU episode Spousal Privilege

The Law & Order: SVU episode Spousal Privilege captured real-life incidents of athlete-related domestic violence, notably the 2014 case involving NFL player Ray Rice.

The episode includes important events beyond its core domestic violence theme that involve A.J. Martin and Paula Bryant.

Detective Amaro felt angry after speaking on the phone with his ex-wife about child custody issues. After this, he showed his rage by striking a locker.

Detective Rollins suffered from alcoholism and tried to trigger a physical fight with Detective Amaro. The defense lawyer, Rita Calhoun, examined Sergeant Benson about her choice to put Detective Amaro back to work even though he was violent in the past.

The argument was used to challenge the prosecution's stance on domestic violence. Multiple media outlets covered the case, yet opinions differed on how A.J. Martin should be judged and what Paula Bryant did by supporting him.

---

Meagan Good's early life and career

On August 8, 1981, American actress Meagan Good was born in Panorama City, California. She started her acting journey at age four when she appeared in TV commercials before moving to guest roles on series such as Doogie Howser, M.D., and Amen.

In 1997, Good launched her career with her role as Cisely Batiste in Eve's Bayou. She gained fame through the movies Deliver Us from Eva (2003), Roll Bounce (2005), and Stomp the Yard (2007).

From 1998 to 2001, she played Nina on the Nickelodeon show Cousin Skeeter before moving into lead roles on NBC's Deception and Fox's Minority Report in 2013 and 2015, respectively.

Besides acting, Good works as an author and producer. She co-authored The Wait, which became a New York Times bestseller, and engaged in multiple production works.

---

Catch new episodes of Law & Order: SVU every Thursday on NBC at 9 pm ET. The episodes can be streamed on Peacock the next day.