NCIS Episode Shockingly Predicted the Dog Feud That Drove Pauley Perrette to Exit the Show!

TV shows often seem to predict real-life events, and NCIS is one of the most notable examples. The long-running crime drama may have foreshadowed the real-life feud between stars Pauley Perrette and Mark Harmon in earlier episodes. Pauley, who played Abby Sciuto from 2003 to 2018, left the show after a reported dispute with Mark involving his dog.

According to NCIS executive producer Charles Floyd Johnson, Mark had brought his dog, which had previously bitten someone, to the set. Pauley, an advocate for animal welfare, was uncomfortable with the situation, and when her concerns were dismissed, she ultimately decided to leave the show.

This real-life conflict was oddly mirrored in a season 5 NCIS episode, “Dog Tags,” where Abby’s character experiences friction with Timothy McGee, played by Sean Murray, after investigating the death of a Navy officer that may have been caused by his dog. In the episode, Timothy is bitten by the dog and injures it in self-defense, while Abby passionately defends the animal, even risking her career to do so.

The 2008 episode and Pauley’s exit a decade later seem to share eerie similarities, leading some to wonder if the writers drew inspiration from the real-life tension. Charles Floyd Johnson confirmed that the dog in question was Mark’s, and he acknowledged that it had bitten someone. “Pauley was a huge animal lover and SPCA supporter,” he said. “When the dog continued to come to the set, she felt it wasn’t safe. By the end of that year, she just felt like it wasn’t working for her anymore, and it was time to move on.”

In 2019, Pauley publicly addressed the situation on X (formerly Twitter), making it clear that she would never return to the show. “NO I AM NOT COMING BACK! EVER! (Please stop asking?),” she wrote. “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!”