Ice-T Jokes He Had to 'Check on My Pulse' After Learning Kelli Giddish Was Leaving 'SVU'

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo: Santiago Felipe/Getty Images

The rapper and actor, 64, opened up to PEOPLE aboutGiddish’s departure from the showon Monday at theLaw & Orderpremiere eventin New York City.

“It’s a sad thing,” he acknowledged. “Me and Kelli were friends — dog friends and all that. We became close. Kelli’s been here 10 years.”

Ice-T noted that calls “from higher up” resulted in Giddish’s exit from the show. “It came from the top of the mountain, you know?”

He continued, “When I heard about it, I called to check on my pulse, like, ‘What’s going on?’ But this is the business we’re in, and they shuffle the deck occasionally.”

Ice-T added that they haven’t filmed Giddish’s final episode yet. “I’m not even sure she’s gone until they shoot that episode,” he said, “because you never know.”

He summed up, “Kelli will be missed.”

Pisano continued, “Obviously I’m really sad, but I’m truly excited about the next chapter in her life because she’s an amazing talent.”

“I’ve learned so much from her in terms of acting and all kinds of things,” he said. “So more than anything I’m excited, but obviously it’s bittersweet.”

Giddish, 42,announced her departurefrom the show last month.

“I wanted to address the chatter I’ve seen online and let everyone know that this will, indeed, be my last season onLaw & Order: SVU,” she wrote onInstagramalongside a series of photos of her in character.

She added, “I want to thankDick Wolf,Mariska Hargitay, 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. 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.”

Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images

The announcement of her departure came the same day as theLaw & Orderfranchise announced this week’s historic crossover between all three of its hit shows:Law & Order,SVUandOrganized Crime.

The crossover event will bring characters from all three shows “into a singular and all-encompassing” plot.

NBC announced that Hargitay (Capt. Olivia Benson),Sam Waterston(Jack McCoy),Hugh Dancy(Nolan Price),Christopher Meloni(Det. Elliopt Stabler) and more will team up in the historic crossover event.

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TheLaw & Orderthree-show crossover event begins Thursday at 8 p.m. ET. on NBC.

source: people.com