Law & Order: SVU didn't have the budget for much Ice-T this season

Rather than a regular fixture of the cast, Ice-T "will be sprinkled throughout this season" of Law & Order: SVU.

By Matt Schimkowitz  |  November 24, 2025 | 9:31pm
(Photo by: Scott Gries/NBC)
TV News Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: SVU didn't have the budget for much Ice-T this season

Defunding the police may be a policy that scares Democrats, but the 16th precinct has no problem with hacking the police budget. After 25 years on the force, Ice-T has been noticeably absent from the 27th season of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Talking to TMZ, Ice-T explains that he only appears in four of the season’s eight episodes because the show can’t afford both him and the returning Kelli Giddish. “It’s just basically business,” he says. “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.” Giddish’s character, Detective Amanda Rollins, had been written off in season 24, but star Mariska Hargitay fought for her return, and Detective Benson gets what she wants.

Ice-T says that producers told him, “We’ll have you come in and out this year” because “everybody wanted Kelli back” and the show hired “new cops.” Rest assured, he’s not leaving the show.”I am more concerned with going to Season 28,” he continues. “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 & Order without you.'”

“I am not going to say anything negative about this show,” Ice-T continues. “They have taken care of me for so long. I’m trying to get to Season 28 […] Don’t worry about me. I am kind of glad the fans are upset. What if I was missing and nobody cared?”

Considering how many seasons of this show have been on the air and the number of spin-offs it has generated, we were under the impression that Dick Wolf’s productions were immune to these sorts of machinations, especially regarding one of the show’s most recognizable stars. Then again, this is also the shortest season in the show’s 27-year run, reducing the number of episodes from 22 to eight. That’s what defunding the police looks like.

 
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