The day after her final Law & Order: SVU episode aired, Kelli Giddish opens up about what prompted her exit from the long-running NBC case.
“I think it’s time for the Rollins storyline,” Giddish tells our sister site Variety. “I had a feeling where it was going, and where it was going last night just seemed like the right place to leave now.”
She adds, “I’m so excited about things that are going on in my personal life and kind of a reflection of what’s going on in my personal life and Rollins’, there’s a lot of joy to be experienced.”
Giddish’s statements appear to disprove rumors that she was fired from SVU, where she played Det. Amanda Rollins for 12 years. News of the departure spread in August. She says she knew she was going “before the season started, this year. We worked on this story together and I think the last episode culminated in the beautiful relationship between Rollins and Benson and we got to see Carisi and Rollins get married which was such a treat.”
Alongside the ‘Rollisi’ wedding, the episode chronicled Rollins’ decision to hire Capt. to leave Benson’s force and take a teaching position at Fordham University. (Read a full synopsis.)
Giddish also touches on the possibility of a return, especially given that Rollins’ new husband — Assistant District Attorney Dominic “Sonny” Carisi, played by Peter Scanavino — is still a main character on the show.
The door to return “is unlocked,” she says, later adding, “Dick Wolf has such a fertile universe going on that people can show up in different places.” That’s really a cool thing that he created.”