‘Law & Order’ and ‘SVU': Storylines That Were ‘Ripped From the Headlines’ This Season (Photos)

In their just-wrapped 2021-2022 seasons, “Law & Order” and “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” tackled several more stories inspired by real life news. The “SVU” logline even tells us “Capt. Benson and her NYPD squad fight for justice in cases ripped straight from the headlines.” This season, those rips included riffs on Bill Cosby’s sexual assault case, the shocking true story behind the “Abducted in Plain Sight” documentary, and the murder trial of a well-connected political donor.

Although most carry the standard disclaimer “the following story is fictional and does not depict any actual person or event,” here are the real stories that, in part, inspired some of these seasons’ most riveting episodes.