ESPECIALLY HEINOUS

Kelli Giddish Isn’t Leaving ‘Law & Order: SVU’ by Choice: Report

Kelli Giddish’s forthcoming bow wasn’t orchestrated by her or showrunner David Graziano, multiple sources told Variety.

Kelli Giddish announced earlier this week that, after starring in Law & Order: SVU for 12 years, the upcoming 24th season of the hit NBC series will be her last. But, multiple sources told Variety on Thursday, the exit wasn’t her idea. Nor was it showrunner David Graziano’s, the trade publication said. Instead, the “shake-up was a call made from above,” Variety reported, with one person close to the production saying “that the company is always looking to keep the show as up to date and current as possible.” Giddish’s bow was also reportedly cemented over the objections of SVU star Mariska Hargitay and at least one other heavyweight on the show. On Wednesday, Graziano, who became the target for many irate fans in the wake of the initial announcement, addressed the “complex” situation without going into detail. “You might take a moment to entertain the idea that things are more complex than they appear in a world of emojis and tweets,” the showrunner wrote on Instagram. “All I’ll say is Kelli has handled this with the most incredibly classy comportment.”