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‘NCIS’: How Former Star Michael Weatherly Felt About Pauley Perrette’s Departure

If “NCIS” has proved anything over its 18 seasons, it’s that the longtime crime show can evolve and adapt over course of nearly two decades. Despite fan-favorite departures and transitioning into new character stories, “NCIS” has found a way to keep audiences devoted and interested over the years.

One of the hardest blows to the show was when Pauley Perrette’s character, Abby Sciuto, bid farewell to the rest of the investigative team.

Michael Weatherly Talks Pauley Perrette Departure

She left the show in 2018 after 15 years on the popular program. During that time, she worked closely with fellow co-stars like Mark Harmon, Sean Murray, Cote de Pablo, and Michael Weatherly. In fact, Michael Weatherly, also known as Tony DiNozzo, had a few comments about her departure in an interview with People in 2018. He explained how the show can still function without fan-favorite Abby in the ranks.

“You have this magnificent world of NCIS’s. So, I think that it’s already been proven it can work. You know, how long everyone wants to do it, I have no idea, but I know that Pauley Perrette will be back in some capacity … I think everyone misses her already and she’ll be back and funnier than ever. She’s a fierce lady and one of my favorite people on the planet,” Weatherly said.

As it turns out, he was pretty far removed from what was actually going on. In June 2019, Pauley Perrette made it abundantly clear she would never step foot on the “NCIS” set ever again.

She wrote on Twitter, “NO I AM NOT COMING BACK! EVER! (Please stop asking?) I am terrified of Harmon and him attacking me … have nightmares about it. I have a new show that is SAFE AND HAPPY! You’ll love it! #HappyPlace Love y’all!” She instead has been on another CBS series called “Broke” alongside Jaime Camil.

Pauley Perrette Relationship with ‘NCIS’ Co-Stars

According to Vanity Fair, Perrette did not leave “NCIS” on good terms at all. Things had been uncomfortable between Perrette and Harmon for years, apparently, it all started with a dog bite on set. She said she left the show after “multiple physical assaults.” The show did not have Harmon and Perrette film with each other. Abby had heartfelt goodbyes with several other characters, but not Gibbs.

She warned fans of her upcoming departure in 2017 by saying, “I hope everyone will love and enjoy EVERYTHING ABBY not only for the rest of this season but for everything she has given all of us for 16 years,” Perrette wrote at the time. “All the love, all the laughter, all the inspiration…I love her as much as you do.”

She has in fact not returned and does not seem to be at all willing to do so. Despite her drama with “NCIS,” Perrette remained close to some cast members. She is particularly close to Weatherly — who she gushed over in the past.

“Michael Weatherly is like my brother. I love him more than anything on the planet Earth. He’s awesome. I was just on the phone with Brian Dietzen last week. And CBS is home to me. The network and the studio has always been really, really good to me,” Perrette said to USA Today in 2020.