Swift, Hargitay, and “SVU” stars Ice T and Kelli Giddish poked fun at the sleuthing the “22” singer’s fanbase tirelessly performs on her behalf.

Mariska Hargitay recruits Law & Order: SVU superfan Taylor Swift for a new case in 2026 Emmys sketch

Swift, Hargitay, and “SVU” stars Ice T and Kelli Giddish poked fun at the sleuthing the “22” singer’s fanbase tirelessly performs on her behalf.

By Shelby Stivale

Shelby Stivale

Shelby Stivale is a senior writer at **. She has been working at EW since July 2026. Her work has previously appeared on Us Weekly and J-14.

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and Ryan Coleman

Ryan Coleman

Ryan Coleman is a news writer for with previous work in MUBI Notebook, Slant, and the LA Review of Books.

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September 14, 2026 10:21 p.m. ET

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Mariska Hargitay and Taylor Swift on the 2026 Emmys. Credit:

- Mariska Hargitay joined forces with Taylor Swift in a pre-taped *Law & Order: SVU *sketch at the 2026 Emmy Awards.

- Hargitay and her *SVU *costars like Ice T and Kelli Giddish welcomed a new recruit played by Swift to the team to solve an important mystery: Will the real Taylor Swift attend the Emmys?

- Swift is a noted *SVU *superfan, even naming one of her cats after Hargitay’s character, Captain Olivia Benson.

Mariska Hargitay got a little help from a surprising new recruit to solve a 2026 Emmy Awards mystery.

The question on everybody’s lips leading up to the ceremony held at the Peacock Theater at L.A. Live in Downtown Los Angeles: Will Taylor Swift attend? The pop icon was nominated for her first batch of Emmys in 10 years, and while those awards were handed out (to other winners) at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards on Sept. 5 and Sept. 6, there was fervent discussion leading up to Primetime Emmys Monday if the *Lavender Haze *singer would grace the ceremony with her presence.

Sure, her newly minted husband, Travis Kelce, would be kicking off the Kansas City Chiefs’ season-opening game that very same night, but a mystery is a mystery! And there’s no better actor on television to solve it than Hargitay, the 28-season star of *Law & Order: Special Victims Unit** *and the host of this year’s Emmys.

In a hilarious pre-taped segment that aired midway into the awards, Hargitay and her *SVU *cohorts, including Ice T, Kelli Giddish, and Peter Scanavino welcomed a talented new recruit to suss out Swift’s potential whereabouts.

And that recruit is... Swift herself! Hargitay and her fellow detectives frantically throw around clues Swiftie-style during the first half of the sketch, making absolute reaches to connect unrelated bits of information.

“Let’s start with the Emmy nominations. *Abbott Elementary* nominated for seven Emmys. Season 6 premieres this year. Seven and 6, add ’em up,” Hargitay bellows conspiratorially. “Taylor’s lucky number 13,” Giddish deduces. “And there are 13 nominations for *DTF St. Louis.* St Louis, Missouri. Also in Missouri?” Hagitay asks. Now it’s Aimé Donna Kelly’s turn: “Kansas City” — the site of Kelce’s game on Monday. One point in both columns.

The team keeps spinning its wheels until Swift shows up in a smart gray suit to shake things up. “Hey guys. This isn’t adding up,” she warns. “Who asked you,” Ice T shoots back. But a fully in-character Swift presses on: “Our perp has a clear M.O. A lot of this doesn’t fit the pattern, and I don’t think everything is a clue.”

Swift’s character rightly points out that her categories were relegated to the Creative Arts ceremony. “Why would she be showing up to the ceremony tonight?” she asks. “She’s probably gonna be sitting at home playing with those cats she’s named after TV show characters.”

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Indeed, Swift has a cat named after the character Hargitay has played for 28 seasons and even won an Emmy for — Olivia Benson. Hargitay finally puts the pieces together, deducing there’s no way Swift will attend due to her conflicting athletic engagement: “The answer has been TV this whole time, because they have a game!”

Swift and Hargitay then huddle close as the classic *Law & Order *“dun-dun” chimes. “It’s so cool when it does that,” Hargitay enthuses. “It’s actually my ringtone,” Swift replies.

Hargitay as Olivia Benson and Christopher Meloni as Elliot Stabler on ‘SVU’.

Virginia Sherwood/NBC

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Before the Swift sketch, rumors flew that Hargitay may have an Emmys reunion with her original *SVU *costar, Christopher Meloni. The onscreen duo shared the stage with fellow *Law & Order** *“dream team” stars Tony Goldwyn, Ice-T and S. Epatha Merkerson last year to present the award for Outstanding Drama Series while celebrating 35 years of the Dick Wolf franchise.

Hargitay and Meloni also went viral after taking the stage at the 2022 Emmys for their near-kiss while presenting the award for Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. The actors filmed a bit where they recovered a stolen award, which Meloni retrieved and attempted to pass off to Hargitay. “No thanks, I have two,” she quipped. (The actress has since won two more for her 2025 documentary *My Mom Jayne*.)

Fans have been yearning for Hargitay and Meloni’s Benson and Stabler to take their relationship to the next level, but it hasn’t happened yet. There was that scene where Stabler almost kissed Benson in season 24. Could this year finally be the right time for the fan-favorite characters? *SVU* producer and Wolf Entertainment president Peter Jankowski hinted in August that Meloni might be back for season 28, so anything is possible.

*Law and Order: SVU* season 28 is set to premiere on NBC on Thursday, Oct. 8, at 9 p.m. ET.

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Source: “EW Emmys”