Mariska Hargitay Would ‘Rather’ Leave ‘Law & Order’ on Her ‘Own Accord’ Than Be Pushed Out

Law & Order: SVU star Mariska Hargitay‘s days as Capt. Olivia Benson on the long-running cop drama may be numbered as sources exclusively tell Closer she’s plotting a tragic exit for her beloved character.

Tough Olivia — the longest-running character in TV history — has become so iconic Taylor Swift named one of her cats after her. But now, Closer sources say Mariska, 60, is telling friends she may be turning in her badge after 26 seasons of SVU.

“Mariska has spent nearly half her life playing Olivia,” notes a pal. “She’s passed up lots of other opportunities over the years, and she’d rather leave of her own accord than be pushed out by a network salary-cutting move or see the show canceled.”

Despite her longevity on SVU, Mariska was said to be looking over her shoulder during the actors’ and writers’ strikes last year, figuring her $500,000-an-episode salary put a bullseye on her back.

“NBC was slashing jobs to make up for the hundreds of millions they lost,” says a source. “But they spared Mariska because they figured they wouldn’t have an SVU without her.”

Still, the network may have to deal with that fate even though Mariska’s rep insists the star isn’t going anywhere and recently discussed a five-year storyline for her character.

But the pal says Mariska is looking to spend more quality time with her actor husband, Peter Hermann — who has a recurring role on SVU as attorney Trevor Langan — and their three teen children as well as getting even more hands-on with her Joyful Heart Foundation, which helps women who are victims of domestic abuse.

“Mariska hasn’t totally made up her mind yet, but she says she’s shooting her current episodes of SVU as if they are her last,” confides the pal. “And that has a lot of the cast and crew sweating bullets because they fear network execs would cancel the show rather than go on without her!”