Kelli Giddish to Leave ‘Law & Order: SVU’ After 12 Seasons

Law & Order: SVU will say goodbye to one of its long-time regulars in the 24th season. Kelli Giddish, who plays Detective Amanda Rollins on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, is leaving the show. The actress has been with the series for 12 seasons joining the NBC drama in its 13th season.

Amid speculation of her possible departure online Giddish had this to say in a recent statement:

“I wanted to address the chatter I’ve seen online and let everyone know that this will, indeed, be my last season on Law & Order: SVU. Playing Rollins has been one of the greatest joys and privileges of my life. I’ve been so fortunate to be a part of the Law & Order family for the last 12 years. There is simply no other character on TV like Rollins. She’s grown and changed, and I have as well. I started on this show when I was in my late 20s and I’m grateful I got to spend so many of my adult years with Rollins in my life.”

“I want to thank Dick Wolf, Mariska Hargitay, Warren Leight, Peter Jankowski, NBC, Universal Television, all of my co-stars, every single member on the crew and all the writers here for our incredible work together these last 12 years,” she continued. “I’m so excited to take all the things I have learned in my time on ‘SVU’ and put them toward everything that’s next to come.”

SVU executive producer Julie Martin praised Giddish, writing on Twitter, “Thank you to the beautiful, kind, smart and outrageously talented Kelli Giddish. Words can’t describe what a joy and a privilege it has been to be by your side, learning and growing with Amanda Rollins for the past eleven seasons. The road will bring us together again.”

NBC announced hours before Giddish’s big news that all three of its Law & Order dramas — SVU, Organized Crime, and the original L&O — would be crossing over for the first time ever in a three-hour special in September. The story will begin on Law & Order: Organized Crime and continue on Law & Order: SVU before wrapping up on Law & Order. The event will mark the season 24 premiere of SVU and kick off NBC’s fall season.

According to TVLine, Rollins will experience a traumatic event early in season 24, which will lead to Giddish’s character being written off the show. NBC declined to comment.

Other casting news in the world of Law & Order include Anthony Anderson not returning for season 22 of the original series, instead new comer Mehcad Brooks will be joining Law & Order, and Molly Burnett joining SVU as a new detective in season 24.

The Law & Order franchise is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, in association with Wolf Entertainment.