Law & Order: SVU star Mariska Hargitay has talked about how she was unable to stop co-star Christopher Meloni from leaving the show. The two network TV legends starred together as Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler for 12 seasons of the hit Law & Order spinoff show, before Meloni made his shocking exit in 2011.

After failing to renew his contract for Law & Order: SVU season 13, he exited the show, with Stabler written out as having retired. Hargitay revealed that she didn’t want her co-star to leave, and did her best to convince him to stay.

In a recent interview with Call Her Daddy (via TV Insider), Hargitay revealed that she was devastated over Meloni’s departure, and that she tried everything to prevent him from leaving. She revealed that he left over a negotiation issue, and one that clearly was not fully resolved.

After 12 years together on the show, Meloni left after the Law & Order: SVU season 12 finale, and would not return to the franchise for another 10 years, when he came back to front his own spinoff. Hargitay revealed that despite her efforts, Meloni was ready to go. Check out Hargitay’s comments, and the interview, below:

“I was devastated. I was devastated. It happened very quickly, and it was surprising. It was over a negotiation, and I tried everything I could to fix it and change it. He was ready to go, he went on and did all these other great shows, great work.”

What This Means For Hargitay & Meloni’s Working Relationship

The Two Still Seem To Be On Strong Terms

Benson and Stabler facing each other and arguing in SVU Season 6 Episode 13

Hargitay’s comments reveal that she was devastated at her co-star and friend’s departure, and that she did her best to try to convince him to change his mind. However, from what she says, it seems like his mind had already been made up, and this was a contract dispute that was out of her hands.

Sometimes actors and networks cannot reach a deal, and this seems like it was the case with Meloni. However, the fact that he finally returned to the franchise a decade later to front his own spinoff series heading the cast of Law & Order: Organized Crime, suggests he has patched up differences with the network.

The fact that Hargitay has reunited with her co-star on crossovers in Organized Crime and SVU means that the former colleagues are back together on screen. Whether Meloni will move back to SVU on a series regular basis is unclear right now, but the fact that he is back involved in the franchise on a regular basis is promising.

Our Take On Meloni’s SVU Departure

The Show Survived, But The Franchise Missed Him

Christopher Meloni as Elliot Stabler in Law & Order: Organized Crime.Custom Image by Milica Djordjevic

There was debate as to how the show would be able to survive without Meloni, but positioning Hargitay as central protagonist helped the series endure. However, the franchise did miss Stabler over time, and this could be one of the key reasons why he was brought back for Organized Crime.

Hargitay clearly missed her friend and co-star, and might have been instrumental in bringing him back into the fold. Law & Order: SVU is the longest-running live-action primetime series on American television, and, though a case could be made that the show wasn’t as good once Meloni left, and his return was very welcome.