‘NCIS’ Planning a ‘Special Send-Off’ for Pauley Perrette

Pauley Perrette might be leaving NCIS after 15 seasons, but the CBS drama isn’t going to let her leave without a bang. Executive producers George Schenck and Frank Cardea revealed that a “special send-off” is on the way for the actress.

After playing Abby Sciuto since 2003, Perrette took to Twitter on Wednesday morning to tell her fans that she was exiting at the end of this season. According to Deadline, the NCIS producers have known about the decision for quite a while, and they’ve got something in store for Perrette’s goodbye.

“We’ve known for some time this would be Pauley’s final season on NCIS and have been working toward a special send-off,” Schenck and Cardea said on Wednesday. “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.”

CBS TV Studios also released a statement regarding Perrette’s time on NCIS, calling her “a beloved actress and character.”

“Pauley has been a valued member of both NCIS and the CBS family for over 15 years,” CBS said in the 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.”

Pauley Perrette’s final season on NCIS continues next Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.