Pauley Perrette's Bold Return: Delighting Fans with New Look on Social Media

Former NCIS star Pauley Perrette is making headlines again—not for a TV role, but for stepping out in style at a major event and catching everyone’s eye with a bold new look.

The actress, best known for playing forensic specialist Abby Sciuto for 15 seasons on CBS’s NCIS, took to Twitter to share photos from a retirement celebration for LGBT leader Lorri L. Jean, who recently stepped down after 30 years at the helm of the Los Angeles LGBT Center.

“I actually left my house. Crazy. I put a dress on!” Pauley wrote, poking fun at her low-key lifestyle since retiring from acting.

In the photos, she wore a colorful striped dress and showed off her new fiery hairstyle—dyed in bold shades of yellow and red. It’s a dramatic shift from the gothic black pigtails fans remember from her NCIS days, but still entirely Pauley.

She added:

“The #LEGEND @LorriLJean who has led our amazing @LALGBTCenter FOR 30 YEARS retired. She’s one of my philanthropist mentors. Proud to be at her honor ceremony and see my fellow philanthropy pals. I left my house. She’s worth it.”

Fans couldn’t get enough. The comments on her post were full of love, admiration, and excitement.

• “Your hair is inspirational,” wrote Pam Amster. “Very happy to hear you left the house. That is a healing adventure. God speed.”
• “Wow, stunning,” said Emelisa Mudle. “The dress, hair colour and beautiful green eyes.”
• @LadyAurelius gushed: “I adore your hair!!! You look so fab!!”

Pauley also posted candid photos with friends from the event, including actor Wilson Cruz, comedian Kathy Griffin, and fellow philanthropist Joey Soloway. She captioned one of the shots with a wink:

“Yes @wcruz73 IS that good looking. YES so is my [friend] @joey_jsf.”

Now 53, Pauley has mostly stepped away from the spotlight in recent years, focusing on her personal life and causes close to her heart. Still, she hasn’t forgotten her fans.

When asked how she maintains her glowing skin, she jokingly credited retirement and clean eating—proof that stepping away from Hollywood has been good to her.

While it’s rare to see her out at public events these days, this unexpected reappearance reminded fans just how much they’ve missed her presence—not only on screen but in the world at large.