Pauley Perrette NCIS Exit: Shocking Truth Revealed!
NCIS, CBS’s long-running police procedural series that premiered in 2003, centers around the Naval Criminal Investigation Service’s Major Case Response Team. Pauley Perrette played the beloved character Abby Sciuto, a quirky forensic scientist, for 15 years until her departure in 2018. The show, currently the third-longest-running U.S. primetime drama, follows the team as they investigate criminal activities involving the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and their families.
Abby’s final storyline involved the loss of M16 Agent Clayton Reeves while protecting her from a hitman. Following the incident, Abby resigns from her job and starts a charity in England to honor Clayton, his mother, and the homeless.
Perrette’s departure from NCIS became a subject of speculation and controversy, and recent insights shed light on the matter. According to an oral history by The Hollywood Reporter in September 2023, executive producer Charles Floyd Johnson revealed that Perrette left the show after an incident involving Mark Harmon’s dog. Being a staunch advocate for animal rights, Perrette was allegedly concerned about the dog’s presence and its impact on the safety of the show. The dog, owned by Harmon, had reportedly bitten someone, leading Perrette to feel it was unsafe. By the end of that year, she decided it was time to move on.
Perrette clarified on social media at the time of her exit announcement that the decision was made a year prior. Despite rumors and speculations, she emphasized that false stories surrounded her departure. Since leaving, Perrette has made it clear through social media that she has no intention of returning to NCIS due to the incident with Harmon’s dog, expressing fear of Harmon and nightmares about potential attacks.
In a tweet on June 7, 2019, she stated, “NO, I AM NOT COMING BACK! EVER! (Please stop asking?) I am terrified of Harmon and him attacking me. I have nightmares about it. I have a new show that is SAFE AND HAPPY! You’ll love it! #HappyPlace Love y’all!”
During her time on NCIS, Perrette reportedly earned around $200,000 per episode, and for a standard 24-episode season, her earnings could have been close to $4.8 million. As of September 2017, Forbes listed her yearly pre-tax income at $8.5 million.
