Cybill Shepherd, right, and Jeffrey Tambor filming an episode of “Law and Order”. (ACE/INFphoto.com)
Cybill Shepherd films an episode of “Law and Order: SVU” in New York. (ZUMAPRESS.com)
“Law & Order SVU” is staying true to its “ripped from the headlines” roots, taking inspiration from both the Trayvon Martin trial and Paula Deen scandal for an upcoming episode.
In the episode, Cybill Shepard plays Jolene Castille, a famous southern chef who guns down an unarmed, hoodie-wearing black teen she thought was following her on the Upper West Side, TV Guide reported.
The sure-to-be-controversial episode, which also features Jeffery Tambor and Leslie Odom, Jr., will air in October.
“[Jeffrey] Tambor is a defense attorney representing a very high-profile celebrity woman chef who thought she was being pursued by a rapist and turned around it was a teenager. And she shot him,” Executive Producer Warren Leight told Entertainment Weekly.
Leight also said the episode will also deal with the city’s stop-and-frisk policy.
The “Law and Order” franchise has based stories on real, and often sensational, crimes from the very beginning. Last season featured an episode that depicted a dangerous love affair between two pop stars that bore a striking resemblance to Rihanna and Chris Brown’s stormy romantic history.
The long-running NBC police procedural begins its 15th season on September 25.