Transfer over, Christopher Meloni — Reneé Rapp desires to play Mariska Hargitay’s lover on “Legislation & Order: SVU”

Step apart, Bensler followers. There's a brand new contender able to struggle for Olivia Benson's coronary heart!

Throughout a current look on At the moment to advertise her newest studio album, Chew Me, Reneé Rapp revealed that the one function that will tempt her away from her unofficial appearing hiatus could be a visitor spot on her favourite TV present, Law & Order: SVU.

Rapp, who beforehand gushed concerning the crime procedural throughout a go to on Amy Poehler’s Good Dangle podcast, was requested a number of questions throughout her At the moment look, together with what character she would wish to play.

"Whoever got here up with this query, I simply wish to say thanks a lot," Rapp quipped as she learn the query aloud. "You've carried out extra for my neighborhood than you possibly can even think about. And my neighborhood is simply me, actually."

When it got here to her reply, Rapp already had a plotline in thoughts for her character's look.

"Let me inform ya, I might be Mariska Hargitay's lover. She could be homosexual, lastly," the Sex Lives of College Girls alum mentioned. "I might be her lover and we might in some way get tangled in like an undercover sort of miss[ion], in all probability with a drug empire."

Rapp keenly recalled that Benson's sexual orientation had been the subject of dialog on the collection earlier than. Episode 13 of season 11 noticed Benson ask her longtime companion, Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni), if he ever will get "a homosexual vibe" from her.

"Wouldn’t it matter if I did?" Stabler says.

"You're not answering the query," Benson responds, to which Stabler provides, "Nicely, it's not such as you've had numerous luck with guys."

"It's referred to as being married to the job," she retorts.

Though followers have lengthy speculated about Benson's relationship with the crew's former ADA Alexandra Cabot (Stephanie March) — who was a collection common from season 2 to six earlier than formally departing the present — the detective has solely ever been with males on the collection, albeit by no means the precise males that followers have been vying for her to be with for many years.

Benson and Stabler have had a will-they-won't-they vibe because the collection started. They two had been companions for greater than a decade on SVU, and whereas Benson has stayed put, Stabler has moved to Law & Order: Organized Crime. Nonetheless, they nonetheless talk by way of appearances on each other's reveals. They've come very near changing into a pair, however they haven't really gone there.

On the upside, it isn't simply the followers that wish to see the partnership lastly go from platonic to romantic. In June, Hargitay revealed that she additionally desires to see Bensler develop into an actual factor — however not till the very finish of the long-running collection, which is heading into its twenty seventh season.

"Perhaps on the final episode," Hargitay mentioned throughout a go to to the Call Her Daddy podcast. "I feel that’s when they need to be collectively… if it's proper. We'll see after we get there."

Hargitay added that the characters are "soulmates, in a approach."

"Chris has had a profound affect on my life, my artistry," Hargitay mentioned. "I feel we’ve had a big effect on one another, and so Olivia and Elliot are [soulmates]. However let’s see the place the story takes us, you already know?"

Watch Benson and Stabler reunite in 'Law & Order: Organized Crime' season 5 trailer Christopher Meloni says 'Law & Order: SVU' near-kiss with Mariska Hargitay 'didn't work'

The 2 characters have flirted with the concept of a romantic relationship many instances however have but to really go there on display.

In truth, Hargitay beforehand revealed that Benson and Stabler almost kissed in season 24 of SVU, however the long-awaited and much-hyped second was finally lower proper earlier than filming.

"To be trustworthy with you, Chris and I assumed it ought to go a method and the powers that be didn't, so it bought modified on the final minute, that close to kiss," Hargitay mentioned in a Could 2024 interview with Variety. "Clearly [creator] Dick [Wolf] will get remaining say. It's his present and he didn't need that."

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In one other interview, Meloni revealed he didn't assume that kiss would have "labored."

"We had been making an attempt one thing. I don't assume it labored," he mentioned on the time. "However I'm not going to inform you why it didn't work, since you all have your opinion." He added teasingly, "I do know what transpired."

However that doesn't imply the kiss gained't finally occur sooner or later sooner or later.

"We wish to maintain the strain," Hargitay mentioned on the time. "And do what's proper and truthful for each characters."

Perhaps that point will come sooner slightly than later.

When a fan on X recommended final Monday that, "for f— sake, kiss her already," Meloni replied, "I'm f—ing attempting."

He higher hurry up earlier than Rapp will get her visitor star function and sweeps Benson off her ft!

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