Pauley Perrette Vows to Never Return to ‘NCIS’: ‘Please Stop Asking’

Fans hoping to see Pauley Perrette return to NCIS shouldn’t be holding their breath.

On Thursday, the actress took to Twitter to address rumors and fan hope that she would be stepping into the shoes of eccentric genius Abby Sciuto for an upcoming episode of the beloved series.

According to Perrette, her reasoning for avoiding a potential return is due to her being “terrified” of former co-star Mark Harmon following the 2016 on-set incident in which his rescue dog attacked a crew member.

Perrette had exited the long running police procedural in 2018 after 16 years and more than 350 episodes, officially announcing her departure in November of 2018 and revealing that she had made the decision in 2016. Speaking shortly after, producers George Schenck and Frank Cardea praised her time on NCIS.

“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 told Deadline. “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.”

Although Perrette has no intentions of returning to the series that made her a trademark name, fans can catch her in the upcoming premiere of new CBS comedy Broke, in which she stars as Jackie, a suburban single mother trying to give her son Sammy (Antonio Corbo) a better life.

Helming from Will and Grace writer Alex Herschlag and executive produced by Jane the Virgin creator Jennie Snyder Unman and Jaime Camil, Broke “follows what happens when an outrageously wealthy trust-fund baby is cut off by his father and he and his wife move into her estranged sister’s condo, forcing the two siblings to reconnect.”

After the series was ordered by CBS in May, Camil had expressed his excitement at starring alongside the actress.

“Words can’t describe how happy and blessed I feel to be sharing the screen with you [Pauley Perrette] Having your talent, personality and beautiful soul in the show makes us sooo happy [smiley and prayer hands emoji] Thank you for saying yes to this adventure,” he wrote online.

The series marks Perrette’s return to CBS a year since leaving her long stint on NCIS.

Broke is expected to premiere midseason on CBS.