Pauley Perrette has tweeted a series of cryptic messages after a fan asked if she would be returning to NCIS, the show she left in October 2017, saying she’d never return due to being “terrified” of former co-star Mark Harmon and saying she fears she’d be “attacked” by him. Reportedly, things went south after Harmon brought his dog to the set, who then attacked a crew member.
Perrette announced she’d be leaving the show, on which she’d played the loveable forensic scientist Abbey for 15 seasons, in 2017. At the time, she gave no reason, simply mentioning in a Tweet that the “network and show are not mad at me“.
So it is true that I am leaving NCIS…
There have been all kinds of false rumors as to why (NO I DON’T HAVE A SKIN CARE LINE… pic.twitter.com/gugM2a2ckT— Pauley Perrette (@PauleyP) October 4, 2017
Then, in May last year, she published a couple of cryptic Tweets alluding to the fact she’d endured “assaults” while on set of NCIS.
“I refused to go low, that’s why I’ve never told publicly what happened,” the first Tweet said.
“But there are tabloid articles out there that are telling total lies about me. If you believe them? Please leave me alone. You clearly don’t know me. (Sorry guys, had to be said)”
I refused to go low, that’s why I’ve never told publicly what happened. But there are tabloid articles out there that are telling total lies about me. If you believe them? Please leave me alone. You clearly don’t know me. (Sorry guys, had to be said)
— Pauley Perrette (@PauleyP) May 13, 2018
A few hours later the star sent another message questioning if keeping the story quiet had been the right choice.
“Maybe I’m wrong for not “spilling the beans” Telling the story, THE TRUTH. I feel I have to protect my crew, jobs and so many people. But at what cost? I.don’t know. Just know, I’m trying to do the right thing, but maybe silence isn’t the right thing about crime. I’m… Just… ?”
Maybe I’m wrong for not “spilling the beans” Telling the story, THE TRUTH. I feel I have to protect my crew, jobs and so many people. But at what cost? I.don’t know. Just know, I’m trying to do the right thing, but maybe silence isn’t the right thing about crime. I’m… Just… ?
— Pauley Perrette (@PauleyP) May 13, 2018
Perrette has been quiet on the subject since then, until turning back to her preferred medium to beg fans to stop asking her if she’d ever return to the show, naming Harmon – who played Leroy Gibbs on the show – as the reason, saying she was “terrified” to be around him.
“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!”
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!
— Pauley Perrette (@PauleyP) June 7, 2019
In a since deleted Tweet, she also talks about the assault of one of her crew members and says she lost her job for “saying NO“. Although she doesn’t explain exactly who attacked her crew, and reports say it was Harmon’s dog.
“You think I didn’t expect blow back? You got me wrong,” she wrote. “THIS happened To my crew member and I fought like hell to keep it from happening again! To protect my crew! And then I was physically assaulted for saying NO!? and I lost my job.”
Perrette talks about being physically assaulted after “saying no”, but she doesn’t make it clear by who.
CBS, the US network that airs NCIS confirmed it had worked with Perrette to find a resolution after the initial abuse claims last year.
*Note: this article has been updated
