Christopher Meloni responded to a fan's 'Law & Order: SVU' themed wedding invitation
Fans have some hilarious suggestions for how to make the most of his appearance.

Nothing beats a response from the Zaddy himself.
You may have heard of Christopher Meloni. You know, the actor who’s starred in 12 seasons of a little show called “Law & Order: SVU"? Whose character was so popular he got his own spinoff show? The originator of the “zaddy” moniker? Yeah, that guy.
Well, it’s no secret that the 61-year-old actor, and the show that put him on the map, has a loyal fan base. Recently, a couple, clearly dedicated to the show, decided to tie the knot with a series of “Law & Order”-themed wedding invitations. Naturally, they invited Detective Elliot Stabler himself.
“Chris, please come to my wedding,” tweeted Kelly Heenan, the bride-to-be. Along with her request, she posted a photo of her wedding invitation, which was a spitting image of the show's iconic poster.
The couple’s dedication apparently paid off, because Meloni replied with a simple “and do what?” This set off a hilarious slew of suggestions from fans, who knew exactly how to make the most of this proposed appearance.
Fellow crime show icon Rick Otto (of “Criminal Minds” and “The Wire”) suggested that Meloni serve hors d'oeuvres. Why? It “could be fun” to have people wonder if the guy serving them was the real Stabler and “eat all the crab cakes you could desire.” Obviously.
And do what? https://t.co/otK8I0mvpI
— Chris Meloni (@Chris_Meloni) December 4, 2022
“Intriguing,” Meloni responded. Perhaps he’s a fan of seafood.
Another wrote “just stand like this for a few hours,” along with a candid image of Meloni stretching his legs (and inadvertently showcasing his backside) which had previously risen to meme status. To be clear, Meloni has a series of memes dedicated to his butt. Not just one. Multiple. It’s something his kids allegedly make fun of him for at all times.
Just stand like this for a few hours pic.twitter.com/2jTUZPRDHX
— May Contain Nuts (Parody) (@Meek_Mitchy) December 4, 2022
“Can’t have a wedding without serving cake,” one person quipped. Have we made it clear that people are relentlessly thirsty for Meloni?
Many suggested that Meloni stay truer to his role in the show, and therefore solve a murder or arrest someone—possibly even the bride. Or kiss her. That was also a possibility.
Heenan did end up chiming in again, sharing that she “accidentally blew the budget on disco ball and peacock feathers,” asking Meloni if he had a camera or box cake mix.
I accidentally blew the budget on disco balls and peacock feathers, so do you have a camera? Or a makeup kit? Box cake mix? pic.twitter.com/bXqcSZQQga
— Kel loves orange soda (@kellyheenan) December 4, 2022
She also shared a photo of the back of the couple’s wedding, which paid intimate homage not only to the famous ”Law and Order” font, but the words played at the beginning of each episode.
It read:
“In our social system the wedding of two people in love is considered especially joyous. In Saint Paul, Minnesota, two dedicated individuals will become members of an elite civil union known as Mr. and Mrs. John and Kelly Damask. This is their wedding date.”
Though some could argue that Meloni never left the spotlight, the actor has noted his return to the franchise as a “second act” in his career, one that he is trying to savor every moment of. He noted in an interview with People that everything in his life, including the career renaissance, is even easier to appreciate after growing older.
"Age is a wondrous thing. You hope that with time you get a little wiser, get a little more patient and really come from a place of more maturity, which I translate to clarity and love," he told People. "And by love, it's not kumbaya, but a sense we're all in this together, we're all doing the best we can. It's a more refined way to operate."Does all this mean Meloni will be attending that wedding? Guess we’ll have to stay tuned to find out.
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."
This article originally appeared in May.