Pauley Perrette announces departure from 'NCIS' after 15 seasons

Oct. 4 (UPI) -- Pauley Perrette announced Wednesday on Twitter that she is departing NCIS following the conclusion of Season 15.

"So it is true that I am leaving NCIS after this season. There have 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!)" the actress 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," she continued.

"All the love, all the laughter, all the inspiration...I love her as much as you do," Perrette concluded about her character.

Perrette has portrayed forensic specialist Abby Sciuoto on NCIS since the drama debuted on CBS in 2003. The 48-year-old is one of only a handful of stars who have been featured on the show since the start, including Mark Harmon, David McCallum and Sean Murray -- who was a recurring character in Season 1 before becoming a series regular the next year.

The core cast of NCIS remained largely unchanged until 2013, with the exit of Cote de Pablo and then Michael Weatherly, who departed in 2016 to star in his own drama, Bull. New additions to the cast include Wilmer Valderrama, Duane Henry and Maria Bello

Perrette is a fan favorite on NCIS, which continues to rank as primetime's most watched drama series in total viewers and is among the most widely viewed series around the world, noted Variety.