Former NCIS star Pauley Perrette is speaking out about the stroke she suffered last year. Perrette, 53, revealed on Sept. 2 that she had a “massive stroke” a year ago. The actress revealed how she learned she was having a stroke and what saved her life in a new Entertainment Tonight interview.
Perrette woke up one morning and had “no feeling” on the right side of her body, she explained. At first, she thought she just slept in a funny position, but she quickly realized it was much more serious. She couldn’t feel her finger touching her face and could not feel the laptop on her lap. She had “no feeling at all on the right-hand side” and said she could have “cut my finger off and wouldn’t have known.” She called her doctor, who told her to go to the emergency room immediately.
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Since Perrette had a phone appointment with her physical therapist later in the day, she didn’t think she needed to go to the ER. Her doctor insisted she go and said her therapist would say the same thing. So, she eventually did go to the ER.
“Walked into the ER and said, ‘Hey, I can’t feel the right-hand side of my body and…’ BAM! OMG! I was on a gurney with a million things stuck in my arms and a bunch of medical people rushing me somewhere,” she told ET. “They know how serious a stroke is and how immediate care is imperative.”
Perrette was admitted to the hospital stroke ward. Therapists checked everything from speech to mobility. Afterward, she experienced “lingering effects” for a few months, but is now “totally” OK. She hopes that sharing her story now will raise awareness of the signs of a stroke. “By knowing signs of a stroke, we can save ourselves and others,” she said. She urged everyone to visit Stroke Awareness for more information.
Back on Sept. 2, Perrette said she suffered a “massive stroke” a year ago, amid a difficult period in her life. “Before that, I lost so many beloved family and friends, and daddy, and then Cousin Wayne,” she continued. “Yet still a survivor after this traumatic life I’ve been given so far… And still so grateful, Still so full of faith, And STILL HERE!”
Perrette is best known for playing forensic scientist Abby Sciuto on the first 15 seasons of NCIS, appearing in over 350 episodes. She also played the character on JAG, NCIS: Los Angeles, and NCIS: New Orleans. After leaving NCIS in 2018, she starred in the short-lived CBS sitcom Broke in 2020. Months after the show was canceled, Perrette told fans on Twitter she retired from acting.
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