You have questions. I have some answers.
Q: I wonder if you would be able to explain why Chris Meloni left âLaw & Order: SVUâ many years ago. I love that show and am happy that he is back in âLaw & Order: Organized Crime.â
Answer: Fans were astonished when Meloni, who had played detective Elliot Stabler, left the long-running drama a decade ago. Different theories have been offered for his departure, including that money issues during contract negotiations played a role.
Meloni, meanwhile, told the New York Post in 2020 that his departure âhad nothing to do with the âLaw & Orderâ people, the âSVUâ people or with Dick Wolf,â referring to the maestro of âLaw & Orderâ shows. âI left with zero animosity, but I did leave clearly and open-eyed in going forward and finding new adventures,â Meloni added. âI was like, âThatâs what I want to do, keep moving forward.â I had done the âLaw & Orderâ way of storytelling, which they do really well, and I was interested in telling stories from a different angle â whether comedic or inhabiting a new world or doing it on different platforms.â