Law & Order: SVU: Ice-T Sends Blunt Message About Benson and Stabler Romance

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Law & Order: Special Victims Unit star Ice-T is right there with the fans when it comes to the will-they-won’t-they between Captain Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Detective Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni).

The rapper-actor recently spoke with Entertainment Weekly ahead of the SVU Season 27 premiere on September 25, sharing his thoughts on the relationship between Benson and Stabler and whether they’ll ever get together after years of teasing.

“I don’t know, that’s just the show. I don’t know what’s going on. But I’ve been telling them to get a room for a long time,” Ice-T told the outlet.

Benson and Stabler were partners for over a decade on SVU, taking down countless criminals in New York City. Their friendship and closeness grew over the seasons, leading many fans to hope that they would turn their work partnership into a romantic one. Stabler even confessed his love for Benson and tried to kiss her in SVU Season 24.

Unfortunately for Stabler and the viewers, that kiss never happened. Benson told her former partner, “Elliot, I want to. I want to, but I can’t.” When Stabler asked why, she said, “Because what if it doesn’t work out?”

Mariska Hargitay as Captain Olivia Benson, Christopher Meloni as Det. Elliot Stabler in ‘Law & Order: Organized Crime’; NBC

While Ice-T agrees with fans that the popular characters should get together, he also had a blunt message, suggesting viewers should lower their expectations.

“News blast, it’s not real! There are writers behind it,” he stated. “People always say, ‘You should have done this. You should have done this.’ I’m like, I can only say the words they put in my mouth. I can say it my way, I can give it my flavor. But we’re going for a ride along with them.”

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However, with Hargitay serving as a producer on the show, and more recently turning her focus to the director’s chair, Ice-T hinted that she could have the power to push the romance angle.

“Now, Mariska is a producer on the show, and she’s also directed a few. She’s not a writer, but she has a lot of power, so she’s kind of steering the boat,” he explained.

That said, he noted that he isn’t sure if the show’s bosses truly want that, adding, “I don’t know if [producer] Dick Wolf wants them to ever hook up. Maybe he just wants to keep dangling that carrot. Keep the seasons coming in.”

As for Meloni, he has made it clear he wants the characters to hook up. In July, a fan sent him a post on X, writing, “@Chris_Meloni for f— sake, kiss her already!” The Emmy-nominated actor replied, “I’m f****** trying.”