Danielle Moné Truitt is sad to see Ainsley Seiger’s character, Jet Slootmaekers, go after an emotional goodbye on Law & Order: Organized Crime.
“There’s definitely a void felt with the time that she takes off,” Truitt, 44, told Us Weekly exclusively and ahead of the show’s season 5 premiere earlier this month.
The Law & Order: Organized Crime two-episode premiere on April 17 ended with Truitt as Sergeant Ayanna Bell telling Detective Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni) that Jet decided to take some time off work. An episode released on Thursday, April 24, confirmed that she would be taking “a leave” from the team.
Truitt did tell Us that Tate Ellington’s character, Professor Kyle Vargas, “really steps up” in Jet’s absence.
“They’re both the computer nerds,” she quipped. “[Vargas] gets to work more closely with [Detective Bobby] Reyes (Rick Gonzalez), which is hilarious.”
Truitt teased that Reyes and Stabler’s growing onscreen relationship with Vargas will add some “levity” to the otherwise rather intense show.
Most Shocking TV Exits of 2024 ‘General Hospital,’ ‘Outer Banks’ and More
“It really is funny,” she added. “He steps up in a lot of major ways, in a lot of important ways to fill the gap.”
The only downfall? Now Truitt’s Bell is the “only girl” on the team.
“It was nice having another woman around, just for the energy,” she said. “[Now], it’s just guys everywhere.”
Truitt also told Us that her real-life friendship with Gonzalez, 45, and Seiger, 26, mirrors their onscreen relationship.
“Ainsley, that’s my baby. That’s my homegirl. We are friends in real life. We keep in touch, we go perfume shopping and go out to dinner,” Truitt gushed. “Me, Rick and Ainsley have our little regular dinner dates. Tate is new to the crew, so hopefully, next season, we can bring him into the fold of outside-of-work hangs. We love us some Tate as well. We just all get along.”
Interview With the Vampire’s Bailey Bass ‘Unable to Return’ to Season 2
The show might be dark at times, but Truitt said there is always “a good vibe” on set.
“We’re happy to be there and we want to make the best art we can, and we respect one another,” she added. “We just have a lot of fun. Even if it’s gritty and crazy and violent and all that, the joy we feel and the gratefulness for being there, I think that shines through on our show.”
New episodes of Law & Order: Organized Crime premiere Thursdays on Peacock.
