There are many things that even the biggest Law & Order fans don't know about the show and its multiple spin-offs, including the beloved Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Some fans don't realize how much behind-the-scenes drama and conflict plagued the production. The show (and its spin-offs) have also been a part of tons of public controversies. So many, in fact, that a few of them have flown under most fan's radars.
Even with these controversies, TV producer/writer Dick Wolf's 'baby' is still going strong. While the original Law & Order (which ran for 20 seasons) is complete, SVU is still on the air and there's another spin-off on the way. So, in all likelihood, there will be many more controversies to come.
Before the next scandal hits, let's take a look back at 15 controversies on Law & Order that fans might not know about.
15 A 2018 Promo For SVU Had Some Pronoun Issues That Caused A Stir
Law & Order has always tackled topical issues, many of which are lifted straight from the news. That means they often open themselves up to controversy. One such controversy occurred when a promo for an episode of SVU misgendered a character who was subjected to a hate crime.
Some users on Twitter were quick to call out the showrunner for the mistake. The episode itself actually explored the debate in a far more nuanced and balanced way than the 30-second promo did.
14 A "Lighting Up Looters" Tweet Just Got A Writer Fired
Very recently, a writer on the upcoming Law & Order spin-off was fired due to a post where he seemed to threaten any "looter" taking part in the BLM protests. Due to the harshness of the post, which seemed to have some highly questionable undertones, Law & Order creator Dick Wolf decided to let this writer go. Wolf said he will "not tolerate this conduct, especially during our hour of national grief".
13 Chris Noth Didn't Get His Pay Raise So He Left The Series
Many actors have come and gone from the various Law & Order shows. Back in 1995, Chris Noth, who was the first notable character on the series, left due to conflicts with the producers over money. According to Looper, Noth believed that he was entitled to a "huge" salary bump if he were to stay on the show for a sixth season. However, his demands were not met...so he walked.
12 A Religious Group Was Not Happy With SVU For "Enflaming Islamophobia"
According to The Huffington Post, the producers of NBC's Law & Order: SVU were subjected to criticism for a story that dealt with Islamophobia and anti-Semitism. Some religious organizations claimed that the episode's ridiculous plot (which was partly lifted from real-life) mocked the real hatred being experienced by certain minority communities and could inflame anti-Muslim bigots.
11 NBC Nearly Ended Law & Order Due To A Lack Of Female Characters
Back during the time when Sam Waterston was one of the main characters on Law & Order, NBC nearly pulled the show off the air, as the network felt that it didn't have enough female actors in the main cast. NBC went so far as to threaten the producers, forcing them to cast far more women on the show.
10 NBC Refused To Re-Air "Sunday In The Park With Jorge" As It Was Deemed "Offensive"
Law & Order has a long history of dealing with stories of assault, which is one of the issues creator, Dick Wolf, is most passionate about. However, according to the Chicago Tribune, the 2001 episode, "Sunday in the Park With Jorge" took things too far. However, the backlash was mostly due to the fact that the episode depicted members of the Latin community as those at fault for the crimes. NBC eventually refused to re-air the episode.
9 "Ridicule" Really Pushed The Boundaries Of The Assault Discussion
Not unlike "Sunday in the Park with Jorge", the Law & Order: SVU episode, "Ridicule" dealt with the subject of assault...although this episode is generally regarded as one of the best, and most intellectually and morally stimulating takes on the subject, it was the center of a lot of debate. This is because the episode also tackled the issue of male victims.
8 Law & Order: SVU's Gamergate Was Almost As Controversial As The Real Thing
Law & Order: SVU garnered multiple weeks of ideological debate due to an episode that tackled the real-life Gamergate controversy and the gendered harassment in the gaming world. Due to the episode's less-than-stellar, almost cartoonish way of depicting technology, many thought it was sensationalized and one-sided, according to The Verge.
7 Diane Neal Allegedly Bad Mouthed All of Her Co-Stars... Except For Ice-T
There's been a lot of talk about Diane Neal from Law & Order: SVU's alleged beef with her co-stars, according to Page Six. Although Neal denies ever calling Mariska Hargitay any demeaning words and also denies disliking the rest of the cast, multiple salacious reports suggest that she hated everyone she worked with, except for Ice T.
6 Benjamin Bratt Just Got "Too Big" For The Show, So He Ditched It For A Movie Career
There's a long history of breakout stars who have come from the Law & Order family. Without question, Benjamin Bratt is among them. According to The New York Post, the actor left the series to work on his movie career, despite claiming that he was leaving to spend more time with his family.
5 The Cast Pushed For More LGBTQ+ Topics And Representation
According to E!, many of the cast members of Law & Order have pressured the producers to include more LGTQ+ topics and characters. Even Peter Scanavino, who plays Detective Carisi, said he'd love it if his character came out of the closet. With the inclusion of B.D. Wong's Dr. George Huang, it seems the shows are continuously taking steps in the right direction in terms of this topic.
4 Certain Law & Order Episodes Have Angered The Catholic Church
The Catholic Church has been a target of a few episodes of Law & Order and Law & Order: SVU, particularly in terms of abuse within the church. Executive producer and writer, Warren Leight, is proud to continuously bring attention to these real-life issues. According to E!, he also has admitted that the network and the Catholic Church have been unhappy about it.
3 A Law & Order Director Was Charged For Soliciting Illegal Photos
Definitely not to be confused with Seinfeld's Jason Alexander, Law & Order director "Jace" Alexander was arrested and charged after authorities found heinous and illegal photos and videos in his possession. According to Forbes, Alexander did not direct any episodes of Law & Order: SVU, but he did direct dozens of episodes of the original show between 1994 and 2005.
2 A Stunt Went Very Wrong For Mariska Hargitay
In January 2009, Law & Order: SVU favorite, Mariska Hargitay, was rushed to the hospital for complications due to a collapsed lung. This was because of an injury that occurred during a failed stunt on the show. Mariska found out that she would have to undergo several surgeries to fix the issue. This proved to be traumatic (and very challenging, for the A-list actor.
1 Christopher Meloni Couldn't Get The Dollars He Wanted So He Walked...Luckily, He'll Be Back
Law & Order: SVU fans everywhere were deeply upset when Christopher Meloni decided to leave the show after 12 seasons, especially since his departure happened unceremoniously, off-screen, without the actor's participation. According to TV Line, this is because contract talks between Meloni's camp and NBC Universal fell through. Luckily, Meloni will return to playing his character in the upcoming spin-off.