Law & Order: SVU Possibly Basing Episode on Johnny Depp and Amber Heard Trial

Law & Order: SVU is set to start its 24th season later this year, and the franchise is known for basing episodes on real-life cases. That could very well be happening once again this season, as new photos from the set could be hinting that a future episode will be based on the well-publicized Johnny Depp and Amber Heard court battle. The photos (via ET Canada) show Captain Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) escorting Golden Telles’ unknown character out of a courthouse, and the crowd waiting outside is clearly split, with signs that say things like “Team Austin” and “I Stand With Austin” as well as “Team Kelsey”, which could end up being the name of Telles’ character.

This seems to be a reference to Depp and Heard’s defamation trial, as during the trial there were crowds of supporters outside with similar signs. Signs would say things like “I stand with Johnny Depp”, and since SVU has adapted high profile cases and court battles before, this could very well be following suit.

We’ll have to wait and see if that episode ends up having more ties to Depp and Heard’s defamation trial, but what we do know is that David Graziano will be season 24’s new showrunner, stepping in for season 23 showrunner Warren Leight, who stepped down after the completion of season 23.

Series stars Mariska Hargitay, Ice T, Kelli Giddish, Peter Scanavino, and Octavio Pisano are all returning for season 24, and the show will be executive produced by Graziano, Dick Wolf, Julie Martin, Hargitay, Norberto Barba, Ken Brown, Arthur Forney, and Peter Jankowski, and produced by Universal Television in association with Wolf Entertainment.

There will also be a major crossover between all three current shows in the franchise, with SVU, Organized Crime, and the recently revived original series all teaming up forthe premiere this fall, and it will kick off on Thursday, September 22nd. Last season there were several crossovers between SVU and Organized Crime, but Law & Order wasn’t involved. That will obviously change this year, but it remains to be seen if tall three shows will crossover again as the season carries on.

Are you excited for Law & Order: SVU season 24? Let us know in the comments and as always you can talk all things Law & Order with me on Twitter @MattAguilarCB!