With his new spinoff, many Law & Order fans have found themselves wondering what Christopher Meloni’s net worth looks like today—and thankfully, we have all those details up ahead. But first, let’s dive into what fans can expect from Meloni’s return as Detective Stabler in the Law & Order spinoff, Law & Order: Organized Crime.
Nearly a decade ago, Meloni announced that he was leaving his role as Detective Eliot Stabler on SVU after years of starring alongside Mariska Hargitay, who plays Captain Olivia Benson, on the series. The pair became synonymous with SVU since its inception in 1999, and needless to say, fans were heartbroken when Meloni’s character departed the series. Yet SVU always left the door open for his return. Now all these years later, it’s finally happened: Benson & Stabler reunited during a Law & Order two-hour crossover event in April 2021.
The reunion episode was followed by Stabler’s very own Law & Order spinoff, Law & Order: Organized Crime, where Meloni stars as the franchise’s detective who we all know and love leading an organized crime unit. Meloni’s new Stabler spinoff is also set in New York City alongside the existing world of SVU—meaning future crossover events are totally (and hopefully) possible.
With his return and personal spinoff on the way, it’s probably safe to say that Christopher Meloni’s net worth is looking better than ever. But these updates may lead many fans to wonder how Chris Meloni‘s net worth was impacted after his exit from SVU all those years ago. For everything we know about Christopher Meloni’s net worth then and now, just keep on reading.
What is Christopher Meloni’s net worth in 2024?
In 2024, Christopher Meloni’s net worth is an estimated $30 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
What was Christopher Meloni’s SVU Salary?
At the peak of his Law & Order: SVU career, Meloni and his co-star Hargitay were being paid approximately $395,000 an episode, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Per season, this amounted to an estimated $10 million salary—not too shabby at all! With such a high salary for his role as Stabler, many SVU fans may be wondering what led Meloni to let go of his role in 2011—get ready for the answer below.
Why did Christopher Meloni leave Law & Order: SVU?
It has long been speculated that Meloni left Law & Order: SVU due to a contract dispute. After his and Hargitay’s contracts were up for renewal in 2011, the co-stars were reportedly offered a new deal of $8 million per season, as per TODAY. Now, if you remember, Meloni was once being offered a salary of roughly $10 million a year for his role as Stabler, meaning his per-episode earnings would be cut to around $300,000 from the $365,000 he was previously accustomed to. This nearly 25 percent pay cut was too much for Meloni to accept, and he left the show after being unable to come to an agreement on his contract.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit air Thursdays at 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. on NBC. Stream the next day on Hulu or Peacock.
Image: Courtesy of Berkley.
For more about Law & Order, check out True Stories of Law & Order: The Real Crimes Behind the Best Episodes of the Hit TV Show by Kevin Dwyer and Juré Fiorillo. The book covers 25 cases from Law & Order and its spinoffs’ most popular episodes, from how a woman’s repressed memory led to solving a 30-year-old cold case to the high-profile investigation of millionaire Robert Durst. Like Law & Order fans know, the crime is just the start and the real information can come from the trial and controversial verdicts. If you love Law & Order, you’ll be obsessed with these “true crimes that are oten stranger and more chilling than fiction.”
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