He’s chilling.
Ice-T revealed the real reason behind his reduced screen time on Season 27 of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” during an interview with TMZ published Monday.
“It’s just basically business,” he told the outlet. “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 rapper-turned-actor has starred as Detective Odafin “Fin” Tutuola on “Law & Order: SVU” since joining the Dick Wolf crime drama for Season 2 back in 2000.
After Mariska Hargitay, he’s been on the show the longest. Hargitay, 61, has starred as Olivia Benson on the series since its premiere in 1999.
However, Ice-T has only appeared in four of the eight episodes released so far this year.
Giddish, meanwhile, joined the series as Sergeant Amanda Rollins during Season 13 before being written off in Season 24. She ultimately returned for the current season.
“They said, ‘Ice, we’ll have you come in and out this year,’” Ice-T, whose real name is Tracy Lauren Marrow, continued. “Everybody wanted Kelli back. We have new cops.”
Although the “Trespass” star assured “Law & Order” fans that he is “not leaving the show,” Ice-T did express concerns about being included in the show’s next season.
“I am more concerned with going to Season 28,” he admitted. “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,” the “O.G. Original Gangster” artist said. “I am not going to say anything negative about this show. They have taken care of me for so long. I’m trying to get to Season 28.”
Ice-T added that his reduced screen time has allowed him to work on new music and focus on “other things” besides the NBC police drama.
“Don’t worry about me. I am kind of glad the fans are upset. What if I was missing and nobody cared?” he joked.
“I will be sprinkled throughout this season,” Ice-T concluded.
“Law and Order: SVU” underwent a significant cast shake-up after Season 26 concluded back in May.
In addition to bringing back Giddish as Amanda Rollins, Juliana Aidén Martinez (Kate Silva) and Octavio Pisano (Joe Velasco) departed the show.
Aimé Donna Kelly (Renee Curry) was upgraded to a series regular, while Hargitay, Peter Scanavino (Dominick “Sonny” Carisi, Jr.) and Kevin Kane (Terry Bruno) stayed on as main cast members.
But Ice-T’s reduced screen time this season isn’t the only issue leaving fans up in arms.
The long-running NBC procedural faced backlash for killing off Dann Florek’s Capt. Donald Cragen during the Season 27 premiere back in September.
“He was the best boss I ever had,” Hargitay’s Benson said after laying Cragen to rest. “Everything that I know about being a captain, I learned from him.”
But longtime fans didn’t see it the same way.
“This is y’all’s last season to piss me off,” one person wrote on Instagram.
“Good morning to everyone except the writer who dared to write ‘Cragen’s dead,’” added another.
The fall finale of “Law and Order: SVU” aired on Thursday, Nov. 20. Season 27 will return to NBC with new episodes on Jan. 8, 2026.
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