Kelli Giddish Recalls How SVU Led Her to Her Husband: “Then All of a Sudden…”
As Giddish’s longtime driver for SVU, the couple used to pray for stoplights to get more time together.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit star Kelli Giddish has perhaps one of the most romantic meet-cute stories with her husband, Beau Richards.
Long before they tied the knot in a private 2021 wedding ceremony, Giddish first crossed paths with Richards in one of the most unexpected ways imaginable: he was her driver while she was filming the beloved NBC procedural, as Giddish recently opened up about in an interview with People.
“[He’s] just one of those people that you sit beside and you’re like, ‘I’m fine being completely quiet, and I’m just comfortable,'” Giddish shared with People. “And he drove me for a while, and we became friends, and then all of a sudden we were like, ‘Wait a minute, I miss you when I don’t see you.'”
Married for several years, Giddish and Richards have been thriving as their family grows, and fans of the indomitable Sgt. Amanda Rollins may be shocked to discover that it all began behind the scenes of SVU. As Giddish’s driver, and you could certainly say Richards picked up the SVU icon in more ways than one.
Kelli Giddish and Beau Richards’ love story began in 2020
The global pandemic gave Giddish and Richards a surplus of newfound free time, which Giddish revealed only strengthened their connection and helped it bloom into a “magical” bond.
“I know it was a really hard time for a lot of people, but I think a lot of people took advantage of it like we did to go, ‘We don’t have work to go to; we just have these beautiful kids and me and you and time,'” Giddish told People. “I feel really lucky now. [Beau’s] such a great father, such a great stepfather.”
Since getting hitched in 2021, Richards and Giddish welcomed their son Oldie in 2023. Giddish is also the mother of sons Ludo and Charlie from a previous marriage.
Kelli Giddish says she and her husband “prayed for stoplights” on the way to SVU
These days, when he’s not driving Giddish and the kids around, Richards remains a member of SVU’s transportation department and keeps active on social media, frequently sharing highlights from date nights with Giddish. And the SVU star remains on cloud nine when thinking about her relationship with Richards, which all began with one fortuitous ride to set.
“Every now and then, he still drives me home, and then we laugh about how much we prayed for stoplights when we were first meeting,” Giddish told People. “I know, it’s true though. It’s so true. We were like, ‘God, why is every light green tonight? We need more time.”
Giddish and Richards’ heartwarming love story continues to this day on set of SVU. Giddish opened up about her passenger-side love story with Richards during a February 2026 appearance on TODAY, revealing that occasionally, she gets to squeeze in a lunch date with her husband behind the scenes.
“It was great, he was actually my driver…” Giddish said, relishing in the time she nows gets to spend with her husband both home and at work. “We became friends, and then it turned into something romantic, and now we still work there. We still both work at SVU, and we actually sneak in lunch every now and then. We can talk about the day, it’s a time away from our kids, where we can talk about things.”