Ice T Explains Fin Is on ‘SVU’ Less This Season Due to Kelli Giddish’s Return

Don’t worry: Ice T isn’t going anywhere. Despite his reduced appearances in Law & Order: SVU Season 27, the star promises that doesn’t mean that the show is “getting rid” of him.

Season 27 kicked off with Sergeant Odafin “Fin” Tutuola (Ice T) being attacked on his way home from Cragen’s wake; he thought he was interrupting an assault in progress only to discover he’d been played. That led to a conversation about trust between Fin and Captain Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) when he didn’t tell her about his gun being taken and she found out from Sergeant Amanda Rollins (Kelli Giddish, back as a series regular in Season 27). He then missed episodes to recover, popped up to be part of Octavio Pisano‘s farewell as Joe Velasco, and returned to the squad in Episode 7, only to take a bit more time off. But he’ll be back, Ice T promises in a new interview with TMZ.

“It’s just basically business. They brought Kelli back, and at the end of the day, they couldn’t really keep both of us on full time, as far as budget-wise,” Ice T explained. “They said, ‘Ice, we’ll have you come in and out this year.’ That way we could bring — everybody wanted Kelli back. We’ve got new cops and stuff like that. But I’m not leaving the show. I’m more concerned with going to Season 28. So, 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 and Order without you.’ I’ve been on this show for 27 years. I am not going to say anything negative about this show. They have taken care of me for so long. I just want to get to Season 28.” (The series has yet to be renewed.)

Ice T has been with SVU since Season 2; the only one there longer is Hargitay, since the series premiere. And because of that, fans are obviously taking note when he’s not in an episode. But he’s “kind of glad the fans are upset” when they notice him missing, he admitted.

Related

'Law & Order' and 'SVU' Set Crossover for 2026 Midseason Premieres — Watch Promo (VIDEO)

“Because what if I was missing and nobody cared? That would be something to worry about. But the fact that the fans wanted to see a little bit more of Fin, that’s good. But I’m going to be sprinkled throughout this season, let’s just say that,” he added to TMZ.

It was in Episode 7 that Fin returned to work and insisted to Benson that he had “never felt better” physically, bragging about how his recovery was going. “I’m prepared, period,” he told her when she noted he was talking about being ready to be back physically. But later in the episode, Fin admitted he thought that even a couple years ago, he “would have been faster, caught on quicker, definitely wouldn’t have lost my gun,” and so, “I just think I need a little bit more time before I come back, just get my head around it.” She assured him that he could take all the time he needed and there would always be a place for him on the squad.

That’s an easy way to explain his reduced presence on the show, and something tells us that with Ice T saying he’s “sprinkled throughout this season” that even when he returns, it won’t be for a long run of consecutive episodes.

Law & Order: SVU, Thursdays, 9/8c, NBC