Former NCIS star Pauley Perrette has revealed the real reason why she left the hit show in a series of shocking and cryptic tweets.
According to the 49-year-old actress, she suffered “multiple physical assaults” while working on the show, and seemed to imply these incidents are what made her leave NCIS.
Since 2003, Pauley has played forensic scientist Abby Sciuto on the long running Network Ten drama. The tweets come just days after her final scenes on the show aired in the US.
“I refused to go low, that’s why I’ve never told publicly what happened,” she writes. “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”.
“Maybe I’m wrong for not ‘spilling the beans’ telling the story, telling the truth,” she continues. “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.”
Announcing her departure from the show back in October last year, her tweets reveal she felt she had been slammed publically for that decision.
“There is a ‘machine’ keeping me silent, and feeding false stories about me,” she tweets. “A very rich, very powerful publicity ‘machine’. No morals, no obligation to truth, and I’m just left here, reading the lies, trying to protect my crew. Trying to remain calm. He did it.”
Being an advocate for anti-bullying programs, Pauley acknowledges she been assaulted.
“I’ve been supporting anti-bullying programs forever,” she tweets. “But now I KNOW because it was ME! If it’s school or work, that you’re required to go to? It’s horrifying. I left. Multiple Physical Assaults. I REALLY get it now. Stay safe”.
“Nothing is worth your safety. Tell someone.”
NCIS producer CBS Television Studios has responded to the actresses tweets.
“Pauley Perrette had a terrific run on NCIS and we are all going to miss her,” CBS says in a statement. 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.”
After the statement was released, Pauley shared a tweet directed at the network.
“I want to thank my studio and network CBS They have always been so good to me and always had my back,” she writes.
For now, that’s all Pauley is ready to say on the matter.
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