Ice-T Says Reduced ‘Law & Order: SVU’ Screen Time Is Due to Budget Amid Kelli Giddish’s (Rollins) Return: ‘Everything Was Cool With Me. I Understood’

[Diddly Drogba]

Ice-T Says Reduced ‘Law & Order: SVU’ Screen Time Is Due to Budget Amid Kelli Giddish’s Return: ‘Everything Was Cool With Me. I Understood’​

Emily LongerettaNov 24, 2025 10:39am PT

Ralph Bavaro/NBC
Ice-T is explaining the lack of Fin on Season 27 of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” After Mariska Hargitay, Ice-T has been on the dikk Wolf series the longest, joining the show in Season 2 in 2000. However, he’s only appeared in four of the eight episodes this year.

“It’s just basically business. They brought Kelli back. At the end of the day, they couldn’t keep both of us on both times, as far as budget-wise,” Ice-T said during a recent interview with TMZ, referring to Kelli Giddish, who portrayed detective Amanda Rollins from seasons 13 to 24, when she was written off. She returned full-time for Season 27, something that Hargitay fought for.

“They said, ‘Ice, we’ll have you come in and out this year.’ Everybody wanted Kelli back. We have new cops. I am not leaving the show. I am more concerned with going to Season 28. This year, they said, ‘Ice, we’re going to work you a little less.’ Everything was cool with me. I understood. I said, ‘Are you getting rid of me?’ They said, ‘No way. We can’t imagine “Law and Order” without you,'” he continued. “I’ve been on this show for 27 years. I am not going to say anything negative about this show. They have taken care of me for so long. I’m trying to get to Season 28.”

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He added that the free time has allowed him to do “other things,” like work on new music.

“Don’t worry about me. I am kind of glad the fans are upset. What if I was missing and nobody cared?” he added. “I will be sprinkled throughout this season.”

At the end of Season 26, Juliana Martinez and Octavio Pisano exited the show. Aimé Donna Kelly was upped to series regular as Captain Curry and Noma Dumezweni joined as a recurring guest. Returning cast members also included Peter Scanavino and Kevin Kane.

Wolf executive produces with David Graziano, Julie Martin, Hargitay, Norberto Barba, Kenneth Brown and Peter Jankowski. Michele Fazekas joined as showrunner for Season 27.

Ice-T Says Reduced ‘Law & Order: SVU’ Screen Time Is Due to Budget Amid Kelli Giddish’s Return: ‘Everything Was Cool With Me. I Understood’

Ice-T explains that he has less screen time on "Law and Order: SVU" due to budget cuts amid Kelli Giddish rejoining the cast.

variety.com

 

[Trav]

Smh

Stupid ass Amanda character should've been fired so many times

 

[Still Benefited]

Did Stabler ever come back,i stopped watching when they split up Kobe and Shaq

 

[ball15life]

Rollins isn't THAT important to the show IMO. They did Ice foul

 

[Thavoiceofthevoiceless]

Rollins isn't THAT important to the show IMO. They did Ice foul

No different than what happens in other shows where actors get screen time reduced to cut cost.

 

[Trav]

Did Stabler ever come back,i stopped watching when they split up Kobe and Shaq

Got his own show now

Organized crime.

Way better than the soap opera masquerading as SVU now. They crossover often.

 

[Thavoiceofthevoiceless]

Rollins isn't THAT important to the show IMO. They did Ice foul

No different than what happens in other shows where actors get screen time reduced to cut cost..

 

[ball15life]

No different than what happens in other shows where actors get screen time reduced to cut cost.

Except they brought back someone who's been on and off the show who doesn't move the needle IMO. But ratings say otherwise I guess

 

[Thavoiceofthevoiceless]

Except they brought back someone who's been on and off the show who doesn't move the needle IMO. But ratings say otherwise I guess

Doesn’t matter whether they move the needle or not as they’re cheaper.

 

[OGBobbyJohnson]

 

[ball15life]

Doesn’t matter whether they move the needle or not as they’re cheaper.

From a ratings perspective, it definitely matters. A lot of the fanbase has been wishing for her full time return which is why they brought her back.

They could have kept any of the other newer detectives that they let go if money was all that mattered

 

[Lil Bape the PostGod]

Goat “play in the background while doing other stuff” show

I was watching one the other day and started curious how they will end it when the time comes

Its gotta be on some benson walks out the door, leaving svu behind to do something morally fulfilling shyt

I jump in and out so I never really can keep up chronologically…does she still have that fake son? They gonna involve him in her decision to leave in some way

 

[NoMoreWhiteWoman2020]

Goat “play in the background while doing other stuff” show

I was watching one the other day and started curious how they will end it when the time comes

Its gotta be on some benson walks out the door, leaving svu behind to do something morally fulfilling shyt

I jump in and out so I never really can keep up chronologically…does she still have that fake son? They gonna involve him in her decision to leave in some way

If you watching the new season, Tynan is pushing the needle to get Benson out

 

[Devil Plisken…CMS]

Rollins isn't THAT important to the show IMO. They did Ice foul

This guy has been retained FOR 27 YEARS but “they did Ice foul”

 

[beenz]

This guy has been retained FOR 27 YEARS but “they did Ice foul”

I mean the same thing happend with richard belzer. I mean you can't be a cop in your mid 70's. they have a mandatory retirement age.

like did he think he was gonna be a detective wearing a damn diaper