Pauley Perrette was one of the most popular and highly paid actresses on TV through 15 seasons of NCIS before leaving the CBS show in 2018. She's also a very opinionated and outspoken person on Twitter, which has both won and lost her many fans. From her real thoughts on NCIS co-stars Mark Harmon and Michael Weatherly, to her feelings about Family Feud and Twitter itself, Pauley has an opinionated tweet about everything. Here are five times she really let us know how she felt.
Pauley Perrette On Mark Harmon
The whole situation between Pauley Perrette and Mark Harmon is confusing and sad and feels like it could even be headed for a lawsuit. Long story short: She's not a fan. They worked together for 15 seasons, and he had nice things to say when she left, but Pauley has done more than hint to behind-the-scenes drama. Just recently, she made it clear -- through her favorite social media medium, Twitter -- that she will never return to NCIS. She specifically name-dropped Mark Harmon as a reason why:
Pauley Perrette previously tweeted about multiple physical assaults (see tweets below), but this was the first time she added Mark Harmon's name. After that, rumors came out that Harmon wanted CBS to back him up, since Pauley's tweet certainly painted him in a dark light.
Pauley Perrette On Michael Weatherly
Pauley Perrette may not be fond of Mark Harmon, but she clearly feels differently about Michael Weatherly. She went out of her way to publicly support Weatherly in December 2018. The timing is key because Eliza Dushku had just come out with the story of how she left Bull. She was paid a $9.5 million settlement by CBS, after complaining about lead actor Weatherly's behavior and then subsequently being written off the show. Perrette and NCIS co-star Sasha Alexander both defended Weatherly in separate Twitter posts, sharing their own personal experiences with him. Here's what Perrette wrote alongside a photo with her former co-star:
Some fans replied that her personal experience with Michael Weatherly didn't mean Eliza Dushku's story wasn't true or valid. No that she was saying it did. Either way, it was Pauley sharing her own experience, and in this case it was positive.
Pauley Perrette On Why She Left NCIS
NCIS fans were shocked, then confused, when Pauley Perrette announced she was leaving the show. Why? Well, she shared some hints, and much later added the Mark Harmon stuff above. But at one point, she took to Twitter to dispute a skin care line rumor:
She followed up with another emphatic tweet blasting fake ads about a skin care line:
Later -- shortly after her May 2018 NCIS departure -- Pauley Perrette started sharing hints on the tension behind-the-scenes that led her to leave the CBS show. She tweeted about "Multiple Physical Assaults" without naming names or getting more specific:
Fans were understandably surprised and concerned, wanting more details on what happened. What exactly was she saying, and would she say more? She shared her conflicted feelings:
After that, she seemed to hint to pressure behind-the-scenes, adding "He did it," without naming who.
Some fans assumed "he" was Mark Harmon, since part of the drama seems tied to Harmon's dog biting a crew member in 2016. The bite required 15 stitches, TheWrap reports, and Pauley was said to be upset when Harmon kept bringing the dog to set.
CBS reps responded to Pauley's accusation of multiple physical assaults by saying she had come to them with a workplace concern, and they took the matter seriously and worked to find a resolution. Pauley replied to that by thanking her studio and network CBS, adding "They have always been so good to me and always had my back."
Pauley Perrette On Negative NCIS Tweets
In July 2013, CBS revealed that Ziva actress Cote de Pablo would be leaving NCIS early in Season 11. Pauley Perrette shared sweet words about de Pablo to Yahoo, saying, "It's very emotional. We love her and we all support her. It was her decision and there's nothing but love there." However, at the same time, she was also spotted wearing a shirt that read "I [heart] My Job" and tweeted "I love my job. #NCIS." Some fans felt like that was a shot at Cote de Pablo, and one replied to Pauley with, "No offence, but the message on your t shirt? very poor taste. Any other time, it would have been cool, but definitely not now." The next day, Pauley addressed NCIS fans and the Twitter world at large:
Here's the entirety of her statement on Twitter and fans:
Regarding #NCIS and Twitter right now: I left you, but realized that's maybe not fair. With everything in life, you can have hundreds of good people around you, yet the words that resonate and hurt, are the few bullies, the mean people, those without empathy or a filter. The internet is a breeding ground for people to spread negativity and hate. It is also, for some of us, a way to bring philanthropy and postive support to the masses. I don't want to block anyone right now, because so many are confused and hurting, although my mantra is to do so, #NoNegativityZone But I am a sensitive human also. Any negativity on my page makes me turn off my computer. For days, weeks... Maybe for good. But... I have SO MANY beautiful, positive amazing, inspiring followers, that it's not fair to them for me to shut down. Please think before you type. It is better to write something positive or to say nothing, than to negatively effect so many people with a key stoke. I like making people laugh and smile. Why others enjoy insulting, bullying, combatting and writing negative comments is beyond me? You live with what you create and project. Please stop using the net and twitter to harm people, including myself. Choose to be positive. "Sticks and stones make break my bones, But your words? They hurt WAY worse" - @PauleyP
Pauley Perrette had a lot of defenders, who argued of course she loved her job, and why would it be a shot at Cote de Pablo? Now it looks like Cote is actually returning to the NCIS family for Season 17 after that surprise Ziva twist in the Season 16 finale.
Pauley Perrette On ... Family Feud?
This one seemed to come out of the blue last summer, but a lot of fans agreed with Pauley Perrette after she called out Family Feud for being too risqué.
Several fans agreed with her, with some saying the previous night's show was distasteful. Others argued it had always been that way, so why complain now and tag Steve Harvey?
Either way, all of this leaves me thinking Pauley Perrette should get her own talk show so she can discuss everything on a daily basis with a studio audience. Maybe she can also tweet to people from the show to keep engaging folks on social media -- after her brief Twitter break this week.
Pauley Perrette may never return to NCIS -- unless she changes her mind someday -- but the show will return to CBS this September.
