Mariska Hargitay dropped a major bombshell about how she filmed a kiss scene with Christopher Meloni that was ultimately cut from Law & Order: SVU.
“I think we felt that this moment was earned, that this thing could happen for a second — and so that’s how we shot it,” Hargitay, 62, shared with The Hollywood Reporter on Tuesday, April 28. “We shot it a couple different ways.”
Hargitay recalled series creator and longtime producer Dick Wolf changing his mind on the final version, saying, “Then they had the choice in editing, and they [opted to use the near-kiss version rather than the kiss].”
The stars of the show “disagreed” about not airing the scene that was filmed.
“We disagreed because we thought that it was earned and the way it was dealt with was really complex and very beautiful and very human and showed the complexity of their relationship and all the different ways that they’re connected,” she continued. “[But] no matter what I want, Dick Wolf can totally just say, ‘Uh, no.’”
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, which premiered in 1999, introduced Hargitay and Meloni, 65, as partners solving sex-based crimes in New York. While some viewers tuned in week to week for the detectives of the Special Victims Unit, others were hoping to see Olivia Benson (Hargitay) and Elliot Stabler (Meloni) fall in love along the way.
Meloni previously reflected on the hope for an onscreen romance.
“Guys, we were attempting something. I don’t think it worked, but I’m not going to tell you why it didn’t work. Have your opinion,” he told TVLine in 2025. “I know what transpired.”
Meloni noted that while scenes are filmed, actors are not always aware of what will ultimately make the cut.
Law & Order: SVU characters Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler arguably have the greatest love story of all time — but they’re not together just yet. The onscreen duo has been played by Mariska Hargitay (Benson) and Christopher Meloni (Stabler) since the NBC show premiered in 1999. However, Meloni’s departure from the show after season […]
“We don’t have that power. We do the best we can to be honest with the scenes we’re given,” he added. “We’re doing the best we can to make it honest, not make it baited. If we do bait, at least for me, I always do it with a wink.”
He continued: “I think it’s good-natured, but maybe you guys are over that, and that’s valid,” he added. “But what can I tell you, you give us too much credit for the power that we might have — will they, won’t they and all that stuff.”
At the time, Hargitay reflected on the meaningful connection between her and Meloni.
“We are just connected,” she said on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast in 2025. “We are so close. It’s like we’ve been through the battle together. We know each other so well. We love each other so much. We respect each other so much.”
She concluded: “We are so comfortable with each other, we deeply trust each other … Whatever he needs, I will always be there for him, and that’s mutual. And we have grown together, we’ve known each other 27 years.”
