‘Law and Order: SVU’ Fans, You’ll Be Thrilled to See Who’s Coming Back to the Show

Kelli Giddish is officially reprising her role as Amanda Rollins, for the third time since leaving the NBC series.
Heads up, Law and Order: SVU fans — one of our favorite characters is coming back, and we seriously can’t wait for it.

Close to three months after Kelli Giddish made a guest appearance in the season 25 premiere, it looks like fans will have the chance to see Amanda Rollins on the NBC series once again. In an unexpected announcement made by Deadline on March 14, the actress is slated to reprise her role for the second time this season in episode 11, airing on April 18.

While the outlet didn’t give any clues as to the reason behind Rollins’ cameo, this guest spot marks the third time since Kelli exited partway through season 24 after 12 years on the air. Fans may remember the decision behind Kelli’s exit reportedly came from higher-ups, and at the time, viewers were upset to see the character leave after over a decade of working alongside Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and the rest of the SVU squad. But given how the show left Rollins in a good place, folks are excited to catch up with her once again.

When viewers last saw Rollins after she left SVU to become a college professor, she and her husband Dominick “Sonny” Carisi (Peter Scanavino) were celebrating the christening of their son Nicky. As the couple’s co-workers joined them for the milestone, the occasion was cut short due to the disappearance of a teenage girl. Benson was determined to find her, with help from the other members of the team.

Although the details around Rollins’ upcoming appearance are yet to be announced, Kelli has been candid about leaving the door open for a return to primetime TV. Folks shouldn’t necessarily expect her to come back for good, though, as she told Variety in December 2022 she’s happy with where things are in her life.

“I started playing her in my late 20s, so I’ve played her in three decades of my life, which is nuts. It’s insane. This is a show unlike any other,” Kelli said. “Shows don’t last 12 years, much less getting to play a character. With playing someone as multi-faceted as Rollins, I got to play all kinds of different things — down and out, on top, joyful, doubtful, scared, triumphant. I got to do the gambit.”

“My side of things is just that it’s time in the Rollins storyline. I felt like where it was heading, and where it headed…just seemed the right place to leave it right now,” she continued. “I am so excited about things going on in my personal life and kind of the mirroring of what’s going on in my personal life and in Rollins’, there’s a lot of joy to be experienced.”