NCIS star Pauley Perrette defended speaking out against former co-star Mark Harmon, telling fans she “just needed to tell the truth.”
On Friday, Perrette tweeted a trailer for her new CBS sitcom Broke. In the message, she added, “The GOOD STUFF!… Sorry about the former truths. This is the future. (Gap year and lots of therapy!) just needed to tell the truth and move ON! Love you guys!”
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The tweet came after a series of messages about NCIS and Harmon that Perrette sent earlier Friday. In a now-deleted tweet, she shared photos of a crew member she claims was physically assaulted while working on the show. The crew member’s eye appears to have stitches.
“You think I didn’t expect blow back? You got me wrong. THIS happened To my crew member and I fought like hell to keep it from happening again!” Perrette wrote. “To protect my crew! And then I was physically assaulted for saying NO!? and I lost my job.”
She then sent another tweet, in which she declared she would never reprise her role as forensic scientist Abby Sciuto for fear of Harmon.
“NO I AM NOT COMING BACK! EVER! (Please stop asking?),” she tweeted. “I am terrified of Harmon and him attacking me. I have nightmares about it.”
In 2018, Perrette claimed she was the victim of “multiple physical assaults,” which may have played a role in her departure from NCIS. At the time, CBS Television Studios responded with a statement about being committed to creating a safe work environment. The studio sent Deadline the same comment when asked about Perrette’s latest tweets.
“Pauley Perrette had a terrific run on NCIS and we are all going to miss her,” the 2018 statement read. “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.”
The details of Perrette’s allegations against Harmon are unknown. The photo of the crew member with stitches on his eye might have been linked to a 2016 incident when Harmon brought his dog to the set and it attacked a staffer. As TMZ reported at the time, the crew member needed 16 stitches, but later returned to the set and continued working. The dog was also reportedly welcomed back to the set.
Some of Perrette’s fans even asked her to stop being so cryptic about the allegations against Harmon.
“This vague and cryptic stuff has got to stop. From all accounts, Harmon never attacked you. His dog attacked a crew member…again, not you…and then he refused to give in to your demands. I don’t know if you’re under an NDA or what but these cryptic tweets have got to stop,” one person wrote.
“I agree. She keeps making it sound as if he physically attacked her and, from what I understand, that’s not the case,” another added. “Harmon may well sue her if she doesn’t stop implying this.”
However, one fan defended Perrette, adding, “Neither of you know what happened. Maybe stop following her if you don’t want to read the truth.”
Photo credit: CBS
