Did Olivia Benson Just Declare Her Love for Elliot Stabler?
Finally some good news in 2022! After over two decades of sexual tension, it appears a little love is in the air over in Law & Order land.
During a sit down chat with Drew Barrymore on her daytime talk show, Law & Order: SVU star Mariska Hargitay was asked about Olivia Benson's relationship with the character's former partner Elliot Stabler, played by Christopher Meloni.
The co-stars recently reunited after a decade of being apart as Stabler is now the lead of new show, Law & Order: Organized Crime.
Barrymore noted now that Stabler is a widower, there's nothing holding the two back from getting together.
"He is free, and I think he's got eyes for me," Hargitay spilled. "But Olivia Benson is hurt! I mean, he left me in a lurch for 10 years. She's frightened."
Then Hargitay let slip what every SVU fan has been dying to hear. "The energy's there," she explained, before dropping the bombshell: "Olivia's been in love with him for many a year."
Although there are sparks flying, the two might take some time before giving a romantic relationship a try. "I think that we are slowly finding our way back to it, but I want to give him the amount of time he needs to grieve [his wife] Kathy Stabler," Hargitay added.
Hargitay still stars on SVU, though Meloni left the series in 2011. The two have appeared on each other's shows in multiple crossover events as of late. The sexual tension between the two characters has increased as they realized what's been in front of them the whole time.
As they work out their relationship on TV, the two are besties IRL. Meloni presented the actress with Glamour's 2021 Woman of the Year Award. On the red carpet for the event, Hargitay spilled to Entertainment Tonight that after her husband, Meloni knows her the best.
"So it's very meaningful, especially after the journey we've had these 22 years. The creative journey, the trust, the friendship, he's sort of seen it all," Hargitay dished. "You know we've gotten in there, we've gotten dirty. So it's very meaningful for me to have it presented by him."