Mariska Hargitay Recalls How “Devastated” She Was Following The News Of Christopher Meloni’s ‘Law & Order: SVU’ Exit: “I Tried Everything I Could To Fix It And Change It”

By Alex Vena

Mariska Hargitay was just as upset as Law & Order: Special Victims Unit fans when Christopher Meloni exited the series.

While sitting down with Alex Cooper on Wednesday’s (June 25) episode of Call Her Daddy podcast, Hargitay recalled being “devastated” when Meloni departed the show after Season 12, per People.

“It happened very quickly, and it was surprising,” she explained. “It was over a negotiation. And I tried everything I could to fix it and change it.”

Hargitay admitted that Meloni’s departure was ultimately “awesome,” as he “was ready to go” and got to do “all these other great shows,” like leading Law & Order: Organized Crime. She said that she “got to meet some of [her] favorite humans,” praising SVU as “a magical place to work.”

“Everyone is deeply, deeply invested,” she added. “And my favorite thing of all of it is when guest stars come and say to me, ‘Is it always like this here?’ And I go, ‘Yep.’ It’s a team. It’s fun, we laugh, and we get it done.”

She also gave SVU fans some further insight into her off-screen bond with Meloni, noting that they are “just connected” and “so close.”

“It’s like we’ve been through the battle together,” she explained. “We know each other so well, we love each other so much, we respect each other so much.”

While Hargitay highlighted that they “connected” through “living these stories” and “going so deep together acting” as Olivia Benson and Elliott Stabler, she also pointed out their mutual love of comedy, and cited a “shared perspective” and “shorthand” they have developed together.

Meloni shared a similar sentiment on The Kelly Clarkson Show earlier this year, telling host Kelly Clarkson of his relationship with Hargitay, “I feel that we’re speaking the same language.”

On Wednesday’s Call Her Daddy episode, Cooper asked Hargitay the age-old question surrounding Olivia and Elliott’s “will-they-won’t they” on-screen relationship, inquiring as to if they will “ever end up together.”

Hargitay replied, “Maybe on the last episode. I think that’s when they should be together.”

As for whether she wants this to happen, Hargitay teased, “If it’s right. We’ll see when we get there.”

“We are soulmates in a way,” she continued. We are. And I think that. I mean, Chris has had a profound impact on my life, my artistry. I think we’ve had a big impact on each other. And so Olivia and Elliot are. But let’s see where the story takes us.”

Hargitay appeared in the second episode of Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 5 as Olivia Benson, an episode that Meloni wrote. While speaking with DECIDER, Meloni noted that it was important for him to be involved with the writing process of that episode.

“I just felt very confident that I had an insider’s view on the essence of the Benson/Stabler relationship — how they operate, how they talk, what she needs in those fraught moments,” he shared. “I know all of these characters so well. I’ve always wanted to write certain sentiments for Stabler’s mother, Bernie, and Randall.”