CBS Responds to Pauley Perrette’s ‘NCIS’ Physical Assault Implications

CBS Studios responded to a series of tweets from former NCIS star Pauley Perrette that hinted at the reason why she left the show.

Perrette, who exited the long-running CBS crime procedural after 15 seasons in a two-part sendoff, took to Twitter this weekend to suggest she was the victim of “multiple physical assaults” which may have led to her departure.

“I refused to go low, that’s why I’ve never told publicly what happened,” Perrette wrote. “But there are tabloid articles out there that are telling total lies about me. If you believe them? Please leave me alone. You clearly don’t know me. (Sorry guys, had to be said).”

The 49-year-old actress then returned to the social media platform early Sunday morning for two more troubling messages.

The first of those talked about her hesitation to discuss “the truth” and reveal a “crime.”

“Maybe I’m wrong for not ‘spilling the beans,’ telling the story, THE TRUTH,” she wrote. “I feel I have to protect my crew, jobs and so many people. But at what cost? I.don’t know. Just know, I’m trying to do the right thing, but maybe silence isn’t the right thing about crime. I’m… Just… ?”

Perrette’s second tweet was even more cryptic. He alleges that there is a “publicity machine” spreading lies about her, but she is doing her best to remain silent. She also ends on the phrase, “He did it.”

“There is a ‘machine’ keeping me silent, and feeding FALSE stories about me,” Perrette wrote. “A very rich, very powerful publicity ‘machine.’ No morals, no obligation to truth, and I’m just left here, reading the lies, trying to protect my crew. Trying to remain calm. He did it.”

According to Deadline, CBS TV studios released a statement in relation to the tweets Monday afternoon.

“Pauley Perrette had a terrific run on NCIS and we are all going to miss her. 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.”

It is not exactly clear what Perrette was referring to in her tweets. However, she told USA Today in October that she was “bullied by a powerful man for way too long in a work environment until I finally said enough and took no more words from anyone, including myself that being complacent was ‘good behavior.’”

The outlet noted that she did not specify when the bullying from the “powerful man” occurred.

Perrette’s final episode of NCIS aired May 8 and drew a season-high 14.8 million viewers. The series airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.