NBC’s Law & Order SVU is keeping to their “ripped from the headlines” pattern, thanks to Anika Noni Rose.
The Dreamgirls actress will guest on Wednesday’s (September 21) season premiere of Law & Order SVU in an episode entitled “Scorched Earth,” reports BET.com. Rose will play a hotel maid accusing a powerful Italian diplomat, played by Franco Nero, of rape.
The script is closely drawn from the New York case where former President of the IMF Bank Dominique Strauss-Kahn was accused of attempted rape against a hotel maid of African descent, Nafissatou Diallo. The charges were eventually dropped, despite DSK’s questionable comments since the American court’s decision. In a recent interview in France, according the New York Times, the former financial executive who had political hopes admitted that his actions with the maid were evidence of “not only an inappropriate relationship, but more than that, it was an error … I think it was a moral failing, and I’m not proud of it.”
In addition to Rose, two new Law & Order SVU characters will hit the small screen, played by Danny Pino and Kelli Giddish. Pino replaces Elliot Stabler formerly played by Christoper Meloni as Olivia’s new partner, Meloni left the show last season.
