Christopher Meloni Says He’s ‘Trying’ to Kiss Mariska Hargitay on ‘Law & Order,’ and Fans Are Losing It

He’s trying! He’s really, really trying, okay! Yes, Christopher Meloni has had enough of the teasing. After two decades of slow-burn tension between Elliot Stabler and Olivia Benson on “Law & Order: SVU,” fans are begging for a kiss! And well, Meloni, for one, is all here for it.

The 64-year-old actor, who first brought the intense but emotionally bottled-up Detective Stabler to life back in 1999, replied to an X user who wrote, “@Chris_Meloni for f***’s sake, kiss her already!” Meloni’s now-iconic response? “I’m f**king trying.” Epic, classic, and full of positive hope for all of us die-hard fans. 

Naturally, the internet lost it. The post racked up more than 23,000 likes, with fans quoting, reposting, and daydreaming about that long-awaited smooch between Stabler and his equally iconic partner, Captain Benson. Of course, played by the unshakable and ever-lasting beauty, Mariska Hargitay.

Let’s be honest here. It’s been years of side glances, emotional monologues, almost-kisses, and unresolved feelings. Fans of “Law & Order: SVU,” which is now heading into its 27th season, have practically grown up watching these two do everything but make it official.

And yes, the near-kiss did almost happen in Season 24, until series creator Dick Wolf reportedly shut it down.

“To be honest with you, Chris and I thought it should go one way and the powers that be didn’t, so it got changed at the last minute,” Hargitay told Variety in 2024. “Obviously, Dick gets final say. It’s his show, and he didn’t want that.”

Total letdown, if you ask us! 

Soulmates, But Will They Ever Seal It With a Kiss?

Meloni first left “SVU” in 2011, crushing fans’ hearts and throwing Benson into one of the longest on-screen grieving arcs ever. But when he returned in 2021 to lead the spinoff “Law & Order: Organized Crime,” sparks reignited fast. Even if the kiss didn’t.

The two characters have shared trauma, undying loyalty, and countless moments of romantic tension. And Hargitay doesn’t shy away from the deep bond she shares with Meloni. Yes, both on and off-screen.

“We are soulmates in a way,” she told Call Her Daddy host Alex Cooper in June. “Chris has had a profound impact on my life, my artistry… Olivia and Elliot are [soulmates] too. But let’s see where the story takes us.”

When asked about actually kissing Stabler on-screen, Hargitay said she’d be open to it…eventually. “Maybe in the last episode. I think that’s when they should be together… if it’s right.”

Even Meloni has confessed that a romantic beat was attempted, but something about it just didn’t land. “We were attempting something,” he said in an April interview. “I don’t think it worked. But I’m not going to tell you why… I know what transpired.”

Forever on Our Toes Thanks to Mariska Hargitay & Christopher Meloni

So what’s really standing in the way? Wolf, that’s the guilty man! Despite fan campaigns, steamy promos, and scenes that feel one eyelash flutter away from a full-blown makeout, Wolf seems firm in keeping things unresolved, at least for now.

But Meloni’s social media candor may be the pressure release valve fans needed. With “SVU” and “Organized Crime” returning this fall, there’s still hope. Maybe not for wedding bells, but at least for one, just one kiss.

Until then, we’ve got one thing to say! Chris, just please keep trying…we’re f**king rooting for you!

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