Pauley Perrette Reveals Surprising Facts Fans Didn't Know about Her
The NCIS Star Shares Unexpected Details About Her Life
Former "NCIS" star Pauley Perrette, known for bringing the eccentric Abby Sciuto to life on the crime drama, once revealed some surprising details about herself that even her most devoted supporters weren't aware of.
For over 15 years, Pauley Perrette captivated our TV screens as the beloved goth forensic scientist Abby Sciuto on CBS's hit show "NCIS."
She departed the show in 2018, and her exit was shrouded in mystery that, even today, remains unclear.
Making it easier for fans to accept
Perrette had been on the show from its very first season in 2003, so when she announced her exit at the end of 2017, fans were disappointed and confused to lose one of their favorite characters.
Initially, Pauley didn't share many details about her reasons for leaving the show, focusing instead on delivering her best acting performance as a farewell to Abby, while also privately grieving the loss of such a significant character.
For the actress, now in her 50s, the love for forensic science isn't just for show, as she's been a huge fan of crime stories since she was a child.
"I just need to be with my dogs, I just need to be alone," she told People about getting ready to watch her final episode at the time. She continued:
"I've had a long time to come to terms with what's going on, and I've really tried to handle this as honestly as I can for my fans. That's been my main concern, to really try to be as respectful as I can to them and give them plenty of warning. It's a big deal for them."
What happened on the set of "NCIS"?
Last year, Perrette made a series of confusing tweets where she implied that there had been "several physical attacks" on the set of the show, and that, somehow, she was one of the victims.
Although she mentioned a "male person" who did something, Pauley never revealed names and instead accused a "big machine" that was spreading false stories about her to silence her.
She shared a now-deleted photo of a crew member with a black eye and stitches and added, according to People:
"THIS happened To my crew member, and I fought very hard to stop it from happening again! To protect my crew! And then I was physically attacked for saying NO!? and I lost my job."
At the time, CBS confirmed that Perrette had contacted them with a "workplace concern" and that they had taken the matter seriously.
The truth behind her departure
In June 2019, tired of fans asking if she'd ever return to "NCIS," Perrette revealed the real reason for her exit, tweeting:
Perrette was referring to Mark Harmon, her former co-star and lead actor on "NCIS."
Her words led fans to believe that Harmon was responsible for the alleged physical assaults she mentioned.
Keeping Abby's spirit alive
Even though her exit from the show was unpleasant, to say the least, Pauley made sure to create something for her and the fans in honor of Abby Sciuto.
She created two different scholarships— one at Valdosta State University and one at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City —to support young women who want to follow Abby's fictional path into crime science, in real life.
"These young women have modeled their entire lives after her," Perrette told People.
Adding that:
"It's like Abby has raised a couple of generations of young women and has inspired this international movement of young women going into math and science and STEM programs because she made it accessible, cool, achievable and fun."
For the actress, now in her 50s, the love for forensic science isn't just for show, as she's been a huge fan of crime stories since she was a child.
She even studied criminal science in college and moved to New York City to pursue her master's degree, but acting entered her life before she could finish it.
More interesting facts about Perrette
Although she considers herself an open book with her fans, there were a few things Pauley had kept private that she revealed for the first time backstage on "The Queen Latifah Show" in 2015.
First, she admitted to having "a lot of fears," and the list is quite extensive.
However, Pauley said she usually doesn't share her main fears because they're serious and people often don't understand, sometimes even trying to trigger them.
There are other lesser fears, like movie theaters, that she's comfortable acknowledging. "You can't throw a movie theater at me, so I guess that's safe to say," she joked.
Second, Pauley confessed to having a "crazy obsession" with Steve Harvey's show "Family Feud."
blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BFiM3Z5x8HY/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);">"I've watched 'Family Feud' like over and over again, and I have hundreds of [episodes] saved on my DVR," she said. She added that even if she's already seen an episode before, when a rerun comes on, she watches it again.
"Because I love it so much"
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