Ice-T "Surprised" by Chris Meloni's SVU Exit
Credit: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images; Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images
When news of Christopher Meloni's sudden exit from Law & Order: Special Victims Unit hit the Web this week, fans weren't the only ones scratching their heads.
Meloni's costar, Ice-T, was just as surprised at how Meloni's contract negotiations turned out. "I'm sad," the Ice Loves Coco reality star told E! News two days after TVLine.com reported Meloni, 50, would not be returning to the NBC hit for its 13th season this fall. "Me and Chris have been together a long time."
Ice-T, who stars on the long-running sex crimes drama as Det. Fin Tutuola, says he wasn't aware of his costar's negotiation holdups until the deal was done.
"We all negotiate separately," says Ice-T, 53, who has appeared on the series since 2000. "I'm not somebody who's dying to leave the show, but at the end of the day you still have to sit down with the execs and hammer it out. So I guess with Chris, it didn't go his way."
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Unfortunately for SVU fans, Meloni's departure is not the only shakeup happening on the series. Earlier this month, sources told Deadline that Mariska Hargitay was signed on for the upcoming season, but only for the first 13 episodes. After that, her character -- Detective Olivia Benson -- would be promoted to a higher position and a new detective, possibly played by Jennifer Love Hewitt, would take her place.
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Tell Us: Would you watch SVU without Chris and Mariska?
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Tell Us What You Think
12once Hargitay makes her exit, so will it. I might tune in for the first few episodes of season 13, but i am sure it won't be the same without Meloni, and once Hargitay gets her promotion, i will stop watching as she probably won't have that much on-screen time. The show would not be the same without these two, they are THE show.
No way. Meloni and Hargitay make the show. Without them, it's just another crime show, and they're a dime a dozen.
Awww man!!!! I think I will be tuning out with Benson and Stabler off the show....stinks contract negotians took a bad turn. You will be missed Olivia and Unstabler :-(
I'll be watching. But without Chris it's very sad..
Awww, bummer! I really like him & "Olivia"! It definitely won't be the same without the two of them together. Bad move NBC!
not going to be the same without them
Gonna suck without those 2
It will not be the same show without Stabler & Benson, so no I will take it off my DVR.
NO NO NO!!!!! Crap on a Cracker!! That is why I stopped watching all the other LAO programs,the ever changing cast memebers. I know it's just a tv show, but you get invested in these characters and the fact that Mariska and Christopher have been on since the beginning is what kept me coming back week after week.
Maybe for a few episodes just to test it out, but don't think I'll stick around.
I'll be watching until Mariska leave and then no...it's just not going to be the same and they basically made the show what it is
No I will not be watching with them gone!!