Kelli Giddish Reveals How Taylor Swift’s Cat Appeared on Law & Order: SVU Emmys Sketch
Mariska Hargitay and Taylor Swift with her cat Olivia Benson appear in a ‘Law & Order: SVU’ sketch at the Emmy Awards at the Peacock Theatre at LA Live in Los Angeles on Sept. 14, 2026. Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images
Taylor Swift made a surprise cameo appearance at the Emmys on Monday, Sept. 14, in a Law & Order: Special Victims Unit sketch featuring the cast of the NBC procedural and Emmy host Mariska Hargitay, who stars as Captain Olivia Benson.
The sketch also featured Swift’s cat, Olivia Benson, whom the pop superstar named after Hargitay’s character. Swift has placed 277 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 to date. SVU star Kelli Giddish discussed the appearances of Swift and the feline in the sketch, which included Swiftie Math and Easter eggs.
“It was so fun,” Giddish, who portrays Det. Amanda Rollins, told Women in Entertainment in a teaser clip of the episode set to drop Sept. 22. “We were so happy to host her, and Mariska told me about it, and I was like, ‘Can she be holding her cat? That’s my only request.’ And then she actually brought her cat! It was great!”
“It was like the president of the United States was visiting! Security was crazy,” she added.
Giddish noted that Swift was wonderful during the filming of the SVU sketch and shared baked goods with the cast, which included Ice-T, Peter Scanavino, Kevin Kane, Aimé Donna Kelly, and Corey Cott.
“The thing is, she comes in and she’s totally just sweet, down to earth, a beautiful spirit and made really good cookies!” Giddish said. “She brought me some really, really, really good cookies, and I’m kind of a cookie snob. I was really pleased! It was fun, though!”
According to Giddish, the cookies were sourdough brown butter chocolate chip.
Swift owns three cats: Olivia Benson, Meredith Grey, who is named after Ellen Pompeo’s Grey’s Anatomy character, and Benjamin Button. The felines have previously appeared with the singer in music videos, tour promo clips, and magazine covers.
Watch Kelli Giddish discuss Taylor Swift’s surprise SVU Emmys cameo below.
Source: Billboard

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