Anita Van Buren - Personal Life

Personal Life

A graduate of John Jay College (as is Ron Carver from Law & Order: Criminal Intent), Van Buren is divorced from Donald, who owns a hardware store (L&O: "Scoundrels"). They have two sons, Ric (who is diagnosed with scoliosis at the age of six in 1995) and Stefan. It is revealed that she spent five years as a patrol officer and seven years in undercover narcotics (L&O: "Fame"). Further revelations are that she enjoys the poet Langston Hughes, and that she is left-handed (L&O: "Slave").

Her father was wounded in Wasu, Korea during the Korea War in 1952. He spent time at Tulsa VA Hospital in Oklahoma (L&O: "Over Here"). Her sister lives in Queens (L&O : "Whiplash"). She was affectionately addressed by two shortened versions of her rank: earlier on, many of her detectives, including Ed Green, Lennie Briscoe and Rey Curtis, called her "Lieu"; Dets. Cyrus Lupo and Kevin Bernard call her "L.T.", a nickname Briscoe and Curtis had been using by that time since at least Season Eight (L&O: "Navy Blues").

In Season 20, Van Buren was diagnosed with Stage-II cervical cancer, caused by the sexually-transmitted human papillomavirus — which she had contracted from Donald, who had been cheating on her. She later began chemotherapy (L&O: "Just a Girl in the World"). In the following episode, L&O: "Great Satan", one of her sons (it is unclear which one, as he is not named onscreen), is portrayed by Sean Nelson. Due to the chemotherapy, she has lost her hair and begun using a wig (L&O: "Human Flesh Search Engine"). In that same episode, her boyfriend Frank (portrayed by Ernie Hudson) appears for the first time. It is revealed in L&O: "Boy Gone Astray", that she has not been eating much since she began chemotherapy; her son tries to help by offering her some medical marijuana, which she initially rejects because it is a crime in New York and she is a sworn police officer. Later in the episode, it is revealed that she decided to try the potential remedy, as the Chief of Detectives stops by and tells her that someone in the building smelled marijuana on her. To her surprise, the Chief gives her mints and directs her to someone who sells medicinal drugs and is careful and discreet. The Chief does this because he had testicular cancer three years before on the show, and the marijuana got him through the treatments. In "For the Defense", van Buren regained her appetite for the first time in six weeks. Unfortunately, by the episode "Fed," her treatment was apparently not progressing well and she is becoming increasingly worried about her chances of survival. However, in the final episode of the series, "Rubber Room", her health appears to have improved: she receives a call from her doctor, looks back at her colleagues and whispers "Thank you...Thank you" to herself. The series ends with a fund-raising party that her colleagues had organized in order to help her pay for the expensive treatment. It was Lupo's idea after he overheard Van Buren's phone conversation in which she mentioned increasing medical bills. On the same occasion it is revealed that she and Frank are engaged (that episode turned out to be the final episode of the entire series).