Ice-T says reduced screen time on 'Law & Order: SVU' is 'basically business': 'They couldn't keep...'
Ice-T fans have been asking for a while why he has been appearing so rarely on 'Law & Order: Special Victims Unit', making many question if he was leaving the show. The rapper and actor has finally laid to rest all speculations about the reason behind his character, Sgt Odafin 'Fin' Tutuola, getting less screen time this season. During a recent interview with TMZ, Ice-T shared that the reason for his absence was "business" and assured he isn't leaving the show anytime soon. Up until now, his character has only appeared in four episodes of 'Law & Order: Special Victims Unit' Season 27.
Answering a question about why Sgt Odafin Tutuola is rarely seen in 'Law & Order: Special Victims Unit', Ice-T said, "It's just basically business. They brought Kelli (Giddish) back. At the end of the day, they couldn't keep both of us on both times, as far as budget-wise." The ‘Ice Loves Coco’ alum added, "They said, 'Ice, we'll have you come in and out this year.' Everybody wanted Kelli back." Ice-T, however, clarified that he is still a member of the 'Law & Order: SVU' cast. "We've got new cops. I am not leaving the show. I am more concerned with going to Season 28. This year, they said, 'Ice, we're going to work you a little less.' Everything was cool with me. I understood,” he said.
For the unversed, Giddish left the show as a series regular in December 2022, but made several guest appearances in the seasons that followed. Now, she is back as a series regular. In another exciting update for 'Law & Order' fans, NBC will be organising a crossover event for their 2026 midseason premieres, airing January 6. In a promo shared, Captain Benson (played by Mariska Hargitay) and ADAs Carisi (Peter Scanavino) and Price (Hugh Dancy) can be seen working on a high-stakes case. The crossover will take place after the 'SVU' fall finale cliffhanger revolving around the tensions between Benson and Chief Tynan (Noma Dumezweni) over leadership and supervision.
During an October 2025 interview with TV Insider, 'SVU' star Aime Donna Kelly revealed that the crossovers were in the works. Kelly said, "That’s exciting. I've not done a crossover yet with what we call the mothership, Law & Order, the original. So, I'm super excited to meet those folks and to work with Tony Goldwyn. I mean, I've been such a fan of his, especially since the Scandaldays, and I have not met him yet."
