Pauley Perrette Leaving NCIS After Season 15

Perrette made the announcement on Twitter

By Chris Harnick Oct 04, 2017 12:59 PMTags

NCIS is losing another team member. Pauley Perrette is saying goodbye to the long-running CBS drama at the end of its current season, season 15.

Perrette, who has been playing forensic specialist Abby Sciuto on the show since its start, made the announcement on Twitter.

"So, it is true that I am leaving NCIS after this season. There has been all kinds of false stories as to why (NO I DON'T HAVE A SKIN CARE LINE AND NO MY NETWORK AND SHOW ARE NOT MAD AT ME!)," she wrote in a note posted on Twitter. "It was a decision made last year. I hope everyone will love and enjoy EVERYTHING ABBY not only for the rest of this season but for everything she has given all of us for 16 years. All the love, all the laughter, all the inspiration…I love her as much as you do."

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See the tweet above.

"Pauley has been a valued member of both NCIS and the CBS family for over 15 years," CBS said in a statement. "While it's never easy saying goodbye to a beloved actress and character, we respect her decision to leave at the end of the season. We are grateful to Pauley for all her contributions to the series and making Abby one of the most unique characters on television."

NCIS executive producers George Schenck and Frank Cardea also released a joint statement on Perrette's exit. 

"We've known for some time this would be Pauley's final season on ‘NCIS' and have been working toward a special send-off," they said. "From day one, she has brought incredible passion and specificity to the role. Abby is a character that inspires millions of fans around the world, and all of us at ‘NCIS' are appreciative of Pauley for portraying her."

The series currently stars Mark Harmon, Sean Murray, Emily Wickersham, Wilmer Valderrama, Maria Bello, Brian Dietzen, Duane Henry, Rocky Carroll and David McCallum. It previously said goodbye to long-running cast members Michael Weatherly, who went on to star in CBS's Bull, and Cote de Pablo. Jennifer Esposito appeared in a one-season arc last year.

NCIS airs Tuesdays, 8 p.m. on CBS.