How Pauley Perrette's Life Changed since She Left 'NCIS'

• Pauley Perrette, known for her role on "NCIS," is a multi-talented artist and advocate.
• After leaving the show, she faced controversies with CBS, citing workplace concerns and physical assaults.
• In 2022, she revealed surviving a massive stroke in 2021. Perrette found solace away from fame, embracing her love for pets and supporting various causes.

Pauley Perrette is known for starring as the brilliant but eccentric scientist Abby Sciuto on CBS's NCIS. The actress was part of other similar shows such as "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," "Special Unit 2," and "Murder One."

Aside from being a talented actress, Perrette is also a poet, spoken-word artist, director, producer, and published writer. Perrette's works revolve around police work, which she was fascinated with growing up in Alabama.

The actress studied criminal science in college and moved to New York City to pursue her Masters. She worked as a bartender to get herself through school, and while at work, she overheard a girl say she made $3000 shooting a commercial.

An actor and coat checker named Walter approached Perrette and told her he knew of a director who would love her. The actress reached out to this director and informed her that Walter recommended her. Not long after, Perrette was in commercials.

In 2000, the movie star played a DJ on "Almost Famous" alongside the late Philip Seymour. Three years later, Perrette was gracing the screens on "NCIS." She starred as Sciuto for 16 years before she left the show.

On October 4, 2017, Pauley Perrette released a statement confirming the rumors that she was leaving "NCIS." She didn't give her reason for leaving in this statement but only noted that she made the choice in 2016. She asked her fans to enjoy what Sciuto had given them for 16 years. "All the love, all the laughter, all the inspiration…I love her as much as you do," she added.

On May 13, 2018, Perrette shared a cryptic post saying that she refuses to speak publicly about what happened on "NCIS." She accused tabloids of telling total lies about her, adding that anyone who believed them clearly didn't know her.

Perrette had also claimed that she left "NCIS" due to multiple physical assaults. CBS Television Studios responded to these claims. In their statement, they said that the actress came to them with a workplace concern in 2017, which they took seriously and worked with her to reach a resolution.

CBS expressed that they would miss Perrette post her departure from "NCIS," affirming their commitment as a network to maintaining a safe work environment on all their shows. On May 16, 2018, Perrette thanked CBS for all they did for her. "They have always been so good to me and always had my back," she said.

Perrette's other statement came out a year later, on June 7, 2019, when she shared that she was never going to go back on "NCIS" and that people should stop asking her to. She wrote, "I am terrified of Harmon and him attacking me. I have nightmares about it. I have a new show that is SAFE AND HAPPY! You'll love it! #HappyPlace Love y'all!"

Perrette since put her "NCIS" days behind her and focused on other projects and goals. However, in September 2022, she opened up about being a survivor of her traumatic life when tragedy hit her. She said that in 2021, she had a massive stroke and lost several beloved family and friends, including her father and cousin Wayne.

Despite these challenges, the actress was still grateful, full of faith, and living. She also delved deeper into her health crisis, describing what happened. Perrette, who was 52 then, woke up and had no feeling on the entire right side of her body. She assumed she had just slept funny, but when she touched her body, she began feeling weird.

She recalled, "I kept realizing the extent of the numbness; couldn't feel my finger touching my face, couldn't feel my face being touched by my finger, couldn't feel my laptop sitting on my lap, no feeling at all on the right hand side." The numbness Perrette experienced could have resulted in her unintentionally burning or cutting herself without being aware of it.

The actress called her doctor, who told her to rush to the emergency room. Perrette hesitated to comply with her doctor's recommendation, given that she had a scheduled phone therapy session later in the day with her therapist, who happened to be a neurologist as well. She thought she'd first get the opinion of her therapist before going to the hospital.

However, her doctor insisted that if she lived past 5 p.m., her therapist would give her similar advice. Perrette went to the hospital, and upon arrival, she received immediate medical care because of how serious a stroke is. The actress was admitted to the stroke ward, where she was therapy checked.

Afterward, Perrette only had a few lingering effects of the stroke, thanks to how quickly she got instant medical care. The actress, who is okay now, encouraged people to know all the signs of stroke so that they can take care of themselves and others.

Perrette was also glad that she was away from the fame that came with "NCIS." She recalled grieving the character and the show when she left, including crying on her way home and going to work every day during the last few days. Later, the actress spent time with her dogs and was glad the spotlight was no longer on her.

She termed fame as a "commodity" that was "dehumanizing." The actress believed she had earned her solace, where she just stayed at home or went to church at the Hollywood United Methodist. She had even experimented with her blonde hair, which was dyed black during the show. Now, it was colorful, with a blend of lime green and pink.

Perrette found comfort in her dogs, which she called her kids. She didn't have a special someone in her life, but she felt complete doing whatever she wanted. She also advocated on a number of issues, including mental health and LGBTQ, and supported several charities personally and financially.

Her love for pets led her to support the Amanda Foundation, a non-profit organization in Los Angeles that focuses on animal rescue. The actress understood what made her happy and said that her future was still a mystery.

However, she was comfortable chilling at home with dogs, who she said were her reason for living. The actress had a feeling that there would be more out there for her, but now, she was relishing in her me-time away from the stresses of fame.