Pauley Perrette Leaving NCIS After Season 15

NCIS will lose a key member of the team after this season.

Pauley Perrette confirmed on Twitter that she'll depart the CBS series at the end of the current season, season 15. She's played forensic scientist Abby Sciuto since the show premiered in 2003.

"So, it is true that I am leaving NCIS after this season. There has been all kinds of false stories as to why (no, I don't have a skin care line and no, my network and show are not mad at me!)," she wrote. "It was a decision made last year. I hope everyone will love and enjoy everything Abby not only for the rest of this season but for everything she has given all of us for 16 years. All the love, all the laughter, all the inspiration... I love her as much as you do."

Perrette is currently one of just three remaining original cast members along with star and executive producer Mark Harmon and David McCallum. Sean Murray was a recurring guest star during the first season and was promoted to series regular in season 2.

While there were plenty of cast changes early on (including the departures of Lauren Holly and Sasha Alexander), the main cast remained mostly intact until Cote de Pablo left the show in 2013. Michael Weatherly followed three years later to star on his own CBS drama, Bull. There was also a big change behind the scenes after the sudden death of showrunner Gary Glasberg. 

No word about Perrette's future projects, but she previously appeared in Almost Famous and The Ring.