NCIS actress alleges she left show due to ‘multiple physical assaults’

NCIS actress Pauley Perrette claims she left the hit show after 15 seasons due to physical abuse

NCIS is one of those American police dramas that is perfect for a rainy Sunday evening – crimes get solved in an hour and (usually) justice prevails. However, one of its former stars has now claimed that, behind the scenes, all was not as it seemed.

Pauley Perrette, who played the forensic scientist Abby Sciuto in the show for fifteen seasons before her final episode was aired in the US last week, has alleged that she left the show due to physical abuse. Through a series of Twitter posts after her final episode aired, Pauley claimed that she has never told the truth about her reasons for leaving NCIS and that certain tabloid articles were 'telling total lies about [her]'.

She went on to say that she was keeping silent and not 'spilling the beans' due to the alleged existence of a ‘very powerful publicity “machine”’.

In her final post on the matter, Pauley broke the news about the alleged ‘multiple physical assaults’ that she suffered and reminded fans that 'nothing is worth your safety'.

CBS, the network that airs NCIS, quickly responded to the claims with a statement to The Hollywood Reporter: ‘Pauley Perrette had a terrific run on NCIS and we are all going to miss her. Over a year ago, Pauley came to us with a workplace concern. We took the matter seriously and worked with her to find a resolution. We are committed to a safe work environment on all our shows.’

Pauley appeared to accept this statement, and tweeted out in support of the network and studio:

Pauley Perrette has previously used her Twitter as a platform to support the Me Too movement.

In October last year, she spoke out about her own experience of sexual violence, and how ‘these awful sexual assault revelations are not only common in the entertainment industry, but everywhere.’