Is Mark Harmon leaving NCIS with regrets? One report says he’s never gotten over his feud with Pauley Perrette or the disagreements it caused with his wife. Gossip Cop investigates.
‘Bittersweet Ending’
According to OK!, Harmon chose to withdraw from NCIS not out of fatigue, but because he’s racked with guilt. His rivalry with former co-star Perrette is still unresolved. After objecting toward his dog remaining on set, Perrette was shown the door. A source says, “She was basically told to shut up or leave, and Mark has a lot of guilt over that. What went down between him and Pauley has haunted him ever since.”
Pam Dawber, Harmon’s wife of 34 years, is sending him on a guilt trip as well. She gave up her career for his sake, raising their kids and taking care of their home life. Dawber “demanded that Mark live up to his promise to leave the show,” an insider says. While Harmon is enjoying life in Montana, he still dwells on his mistakes, including the situation with Perrette. A source concludes, “He hopes one day that she can forgive him.”
What’s Really Going On With Mark Harmon
It’s true that there’s an unresolved tension between Perrette and Harmon. Perrette did say she was terrified of Harmon and implied she left the show after “multiple physical assaults.” As of 2019, she said she still had nightmares about him. That’s a bridge that may never be rebuilt.
OK! seemingly absolves Harmon of any wrongdoing. He comes off more as a concerned co-star than a bogeyman himself. The narrative wants to pull at the reader’s heartstrings with its final lines, but reality just isn’t so simple.
Harmon stuck around on NCIS for three seasons after Perrette left, so it’s safe to say she had nothing to do with it. Showrunner Steve Binder made it sound like the doors are wide open for his return, so we haven’t seen the last of Agent Gibbs. Gossip Cop seriously doubts this outlet could possibly know what Dawber tells Harmon as well. As an actress herself, Dawber knows the realities of the industry and obviously had no problems. She even guest-starred in multiple episodes recently.
Other ‘NCIS’ Myths
OK! Once attempted to give Harmon the nickname Mr. Boring, but that didn’t exactly stick. It also attacked his spending habits, dubbing him a notorious cheapskate. Why Harmon’s spending habits matter at all is still unknown.
This isn’t even the first time Gossip Cop has seen a tabloid evoke Perrette to explain Harmon’s exit. Back in 2019, years before he left, the Globe claimed Harmon was fed up with NCIS. It specifically cited difficulty with co-stars, yet only Perrette has publicly aired grievances. Perrette’s long since moved on from NCIS, and it’s high time that the tabloids do too.
