It’s been more than a year since her character left the Special Victims Unit, but viewers still have questions over why Kelli Giddish left SVU and what happened to Amanda Rollins in the first place.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit — also known as SVU — is NBC’s procedural drama series following the personal and professional lives of detectives at the New York Police Department’s 16th precinct’s Special Victims Unit, which investigates and prosecutes various sexually oriented crimes. The unit is lead by Olivia Benson, the Captain and Commanding Officer of the Manhattan Special Victims Unit. Giddish plays Amanda Rollins, a detective with the Manhattan special Victims Unit, who joined SVU in Season 13 and left in Season 24.

Law & Order: SVU

In an interview with Variety in December 2022, Giddish looked back at her time as Rollins on SVU, whom she played for more than a decade of her life. “I started playing her in my late 20s, so I’ve played her in three decades of my life, which is nuts. It’s insane,” she said. “This is a show unlike any other. Shows don’t last 12 years, much less getting to play a character. With playing someone as multi-faceted as Rollins, I got to play all kinds of different things — down and out, on top, joyful, doubtful, scared, triumphant. I got to do the gambit.”

So why did Kelli Giddish leave SVU? Read on for the real reason Kelli Giddish left SVU and what happened to Amanda Rollins.

Why did Kelli Giddish leave SVU?

Amanda Rollins, SVU

Why did Kelli Giddish leave SVU? In an interview with Variety in May 2024, Mariska Hargitay, who plays Captain Olivia Benson, confirmed that Giddish was fired by creator and executive producer Dick Wolf prior to her exit at the end of Season 24. “Kelli is my favorite actor to work with,” Hargitay said. “Kelli is my heart. It’s a sore subject. I have a lot of say on the show, but I didn’t have enough there.”

Since her co-star’s exit, Hargitay, who is also an executive producer on SVU, revealed that she’s been campaigning for Giddish (and Rollins) to return to the series full time. “I don’t like not being listened to, especially when I’m right,” she said. “That relationship was one of the most powerful relationships in television because you saw these two badass women, so flawed and so there for each other.”

Giddish announced she was leaving SVU after Season 24 in August 2022. “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,” Giddish said in a statement at the time. “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.”