In NCIS, Pauley Perrette played forensic scientist Abby Sciuto for a decade and a half. In 2018 it broke. Perrette left the military crime series – seemingly peacefully and amicably at first. However, the exit was preceded by intense tensions between Perrette and another big star of the series: Gibbs actor Mark Harmon.
We explain:
A dog bite on the NCIS set sparked a fight between Perrette and Harmon
In 2016, TMZ first reported that Mark Harmon’s dog attacked a Navy CIS crew member. The bitten person had to come along 16 stitches sewn but returned to the set — as did Mark Harmon’s dog, insiders told The Wrap. The actor’s attorney denied the dog’s return to the set. However, this detail was decisive for the later dispute.
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The old, complete Navy CIS team
There was no talk of tensions in the team immediately after the attack. The extent to which the incident affected the crew only became known later. The fact that Harmon continued to bring his dog to work – albeit arguably only on a leash and in his trailer most of the time – caused a collective sense of uneasiness, according to The Wrap.
At that time, Mark Harmon was not only the main actor, but also the producer of the series and thus one of the most powerful people on the set. The only crew member brave enough to confront Harmon about the general concerns was Pauley Perrette.
Pauley Perrette’s allegations against Mark Harmon
A year after the dog bite, in 2017, Perrette announced her exit from NCIS. In a tweet, she initially disagreed “false stories” and rumors about the reasons. The farewell was supposed to be peaceful and noiseless. However, the desired image did not last long.
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According to Screen Rant, the professional and personal relationship between Harmon and Perrette completely collapsed after the dog incident. In May 2018, the last episode of NCIS with Pauley Perrette aired on US television. A few days after the broadcast, the actress described details about her exit on Twitter. she rose serious allegations. Perrette, for example, stated that he had been physically attacked several times and mentioned one “rich, powerful PR machine”who spread lies.
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It was scary, I left. Multiple physical attacks.
The lyrics are kept in a vague tone. Perrette accused in sentences like “He did it” nobody directly and didn’t mention any names either. That all changed in 2019 with this tweet in which she answered her fans’ comeback requests.
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NO, I WILL NOT COME BACK! Never! (please stop asking) I have terrible fear of [Mark ]harmony and that he attacks me. I have nightmares about it. […]
In another tweet, Perrette posted a picture of the wound Mark Harmon’s dog allegedly inflicted on the crew member. The post has since been deleted. She wrote: “I fought hard not to let that happen again! To protect my crew! And then I was physically attacked for saying no?! And I lost my job.”
What does that mean? Combined with insider reports, Pauly Perrette’s older tweets, and these 2019 posts, there are several allegations that Mark Harmon was inconsiderate and possibly even violent towards NCIS crew members, particularly Pauley Perrette. The actress also hints that she was pushed out of the series.
The broadcaster CBS responded to the tweets in 2019 with a statement: Pauley Perrette approached her with a request over a year ago. The matter was taken seriously and a mutually satisfactory solution was worked out together with the actress.
What exactly happened on the set between 2016 and 2018 is unknown. To date, Mark Harmon has not officially commented on the allegations. According to insider reports, after Perrette’s tweets, he called for more support from the broadcaster, saying: “Keep Pauley Perrette in check or I’ll sue her!”
How the show dealt with tensions between Perrette and Harmon
What we can safely assume: There was severe tension between Perrette and Harmon. So difficult that the two stars shot their scenes for the series on different days of shooting. The arrangement, an insider told The Wrap, meant that Perrette and Harmon no longer had to be in the same place. Her scenes were painstakingly edited together. The broadcaster CBS did not want to confirm this version.
more on the subject
The “Logistics Nightmare” on the set, however, the audience also noticed. Characters Gibbs and Abby were bound by a close, fatherly friendship for years. In the last episode of Abby, however, both characters were hardly seen together.
How is Abby’s departure explained on the show?
Abby leaves NCIS in a double episode in season 15. She is assassinated but survives the shooting. She convicts her own “killer” and resigns from NCIS. She begins a new life in London. (Stream Navy CIS at Joyn*)
Is Abby’s return possible?
Abby hasn’t been credited on the show since leaving, which is set to change, NCIS showrunner Steven D. Binder told TVLine in 2022. She didn’t die, so theoretically the door is wide open for a return. NCIS also occasionally brings back older characters, even after lengthy hiatuses. In practice, however, Abby’s return is difficult to implement. The tablecloth between Perrette and the series is cut after what appears to have happened. And Mark Harmon continues to be a present figure in the NCIS cosmos.
Although he also resigned as an actor after season 19, his NCIS exit has at least officially nothing to do with the incidents on the set. He is still active as a producer of the series and thus has great influence on its design. Unlike Pauley Perrette, he still appears as Gibbs in the opening credits of the new episodes.
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