Like a lot of procedurals, NCIS has been through its fair share of casting changes over the years, from Jennifer Esposito leaving after one season, to series lead Mark Harmon bowing out early into Season 19. Among the higher profile exits was Pauley Perrette, who departed the hit CBS show in a heartbreaking way back in 2018. There’s no question her character, Abby Sciuto, was well liked by many of the fans, but after 15 seasons, the goth forensics specialist decided to start a new chapter of her life and resigned from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.
Within the show’s canon, Abby reached this decision in the episode “Two Steps Back” following the death of her colleague/friend Clayton Reeves, played by Duane Henry, as she wanted to honor his memory, and his mother’s, by starting a charity to help the homeless. So that accounts for Abby’s motivations, but were the circumstances behind why Perrette left NCIS in the real world? That’s what we’re here to go over.
What Pauley Perrette Initially Said About Leaving NCIS
Pauley Perrette’s exit from NCIS certainly didn’t come as a surprise to fans, or at least the ones who followed along with the show’s news cycle, The actress confirmed in October 2017 that she would leave the show at the end of Season 15, though her final appearances ultimately ended up coming two episodes prior to the season finale. Considering Perrette played Abby for a over decade and a half, which also counts the character’s introduction in the JAG two-parter “Ice Queen” and “Meltdown,” it’s not like she hadn’t spent plenty of time in those platform boots and drinking all that Caf Pow. (Sidenote, a fun NCIS behind-the-scenes fact is that Perrette studied criminal science in graduate school before taking up acting professionally.)
While Perrette didn’t initially provide a specific reason for leaving NCIS, she did debunk that it was to start her own “skin care line” or because the network and show were “mad” at her. All she divulged was that it was a decision she made the prior year and that she hoped fans loved what was done with Abby for the rest of Season 15. A month later, Perrette once again shot down the claim that she had her own skin care line coming up, but still didn’t provide any specifics besides why she felt it was time to put NCIS in the proverbial rear view mirror.
Before going any further, there’s something important to note for context. In Abby’s last scene in NCIS, she waved goodbye to Harmon’s Gibbs across the street from his house after leaving him a note. So the two actors weren’t actually onscreen together when the characters had their final moment. Remember that as we go into this next section.
What Was Later Revealed About Pauley Perrette’s NCIS Exit
On May 12, 2018, starting less than a week after her final NCIS episode aired, Pauley Perrette posted a series of vague tweets on the subject, just one of the many times she’s gotten extra candid on Twitter. She started off by saying that there were tabloid articles telling “total lies” about her, and she asked to be left alone. Then the following day, Perrette acknowledged that she might have been “wrong” for not “spilling the beans” about something because she felt she had to “protect my crew, jobs and so many people," and then tweeted a few hours later about how there was a “very rich, very powerful publicity machine” keeping her silent and feeding “false stories” about her. Finally, she tweeted about how she “left” following “multiple physical assaults,” adding, “I REALLY get it now. Stay safe. Nothing is worth your safety. Tell someone.”
So while the actress certainly wasn’t painting a complete picture with her statements, it was enough to cause NCIS fans to wonder if she’d left the show under less than ideal terms. Shortly thereafter, CBS released an official statement saying that Perrette had come to the network with a “workplace concern,” and that they “took the matter seriously and worked with her to find a resolution.” In response, Perrette thanked CBS and her “studio,” saying that they’d always “so good” to her and always had her back.
Then on May 17, 2018, The Wrap reported on the reason for why Pauley Perrette and Mark Harmon hadn’t appeared together on screen during NCIS Season 15. Back in October 2016, Harmon brought his dog on set and it bit a crew member (as had been reported at the time by TMZ), requiring them to get 15 stitches. Perrette purportedly objected to the dog continuing to be brought back on set, speaking both for herself and on behalf of crew members who were “uncomfortable” with the dog’s presence, but were “afraid” to confront Harmon about it. From there, her and Harmon’s professional relationship deteriorated to the point that an arrangement was reached where they never worked together on the same days. For the scenes where Gibbs and Abby were seen next to one another, that was accomplished through editing.
Fast forward to June 7, 2019, Pauley Perrette tweeted that she would never return to NCIS because she was “terrified” of Mark Harmon and him “attacking” her, and that she had “nightmares” about this. This was her first public acknowledgement that there was bad blood between her and Harmon, and then she wrote in a tweet deleted shortly thereafter showing an unidentified person covered in bruises and stitches. Given her previous tweet though, the implication was that it was her in the photo.
By the following July, Harmon was reportedly wanting CBS to back him up on this drama with Perrette and was even thinking about suing the actress for her statements, but he never publicly commented on the matter. Then on August 2, 2019, CBS president of entertainment Kelly Kahl said she couldn’t “speak” to what Perrette had been tweeting about and simply brought up the aforementioned “workplace concern” that had been resolved.
In September 2023, NCIS executive producer Charles Floyd Johnson confirmed to THR that Harmon's dog was the catalyst for Perrette leaving, saying that she was "a huge, huge SPCA [Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals] animal person," and that as the dog kept being brought to the set, she "felt it wasn’t safe for the show." As Johnson put it, eventually the actress hit a point where "it wasn’t working for her anymore, and it was time to move on."
What Pauley Perrette Did After NCIS
Two years after leaving NCIS, Pauley Perrette returned to CBS to star in the sitcom Broke, where she played a single mother named Jackie who took in her estranged sister and her husband after the man’s family cut them off. Broke was cancelled after just one 13-episode season that from April to June of 2020, and by the following November, Perrette announced that she’d retired from acting.
The following few years proved to be especially challenging for the now-retired actress. In addition to her father dying from COVID in early 2021, Perrette shared in September 2022 that she’d suffered a “massive stroke” the previous September and got pretty candid about the health scare, writing that she nearly died. Perrette has kept a relatively private profile these days, not tweeting since March 2023.
Will Pauley Perrette Ever Come Back To NCIS?
Right off the bat, Pauley Perrette not acting anymore would indicate we won’t see her on NCIS again, but her retirement doesn’t necessarily have to be permanent. After all, Cameron Diaz did the same thing after starring in 2014’s Annie, then returned a decade later to re-team with Jamie Foxx for Netflix’s Back in Action. However, it’s also possible that the stroke might impaired Perrette’s performing abilities, though that’s just speculation.
Then there’s the Mark Harmon of it all to consider. As mentioned earlier, he hasn’t been part of NCIS for a few years, so him being gone could be enough for Perrette to stop by the series again, even if just for a guest spot. After all, Cote de Pablo reprised Ziva David for a handful of appearances in Seasons 17, so if Perrtette was game and able, the NCIS writers could surely come up with a scenario that leads to Abby Sciuto returning to her old stomping grounds. Granted, it’s a shame that fans will almost certainly never see Abby and Leroy Jethro Gibbs together again, but with people like Timothy McGee, Nick Torres and Jimmy Palmer still around, it’d still feel like a family reunion.
If/when the day comes that it’s announced Pauley Perrette will pop her head back into NCIS, we’ll let you know. Those interested in revisiting the popular show’s first 20 seasons can stream them with a Paramount+ subscription.
