The Sad Things We Didn't Know About Pauley Perrette’s Private Life

Pauley Perrette was a part of ‘NCIS’ for 15 years. Sadly, it turns out there are several tragic details from the actress’ life that never made it to the screen.

Pauley Perrette hasn’t got naturally dark hair like Abby Sciuto

Pauley Perrette brought goth to life throughout her time as Abby Sciuto on the police procedural show ‘NCIS.’ The actress rocked everything from chokers to studded accessories and just about everything in between. However, there was one aspect of the character’s look that was more iconic than anything else: Abby’s black hair.

It turns out things might have been changed for the show. While many of us are used to seeing Pauley rock the black hair away from the show, it turns out the actress actually has naturally blonde hair. That’s right; Pauley would regularly dye her hair just for the part. Some actresses might have opted for a wig. Not Pauley Perrette – she was fully dedicated to the role.

The actress developed an allergy to the black hair dye for the show

Things weren’t always simple for Pauley Perrette as she tried to become Abby Sciuto for the show. It turns out that trying to keep the black hair actually became a huge problem for the actress as she learned that she was allergic to the hair dye she had to use. Pauley took to social media to share the scary experience. Apparently, this wasn’t the first reaction.

Pauley actually had an allergic reaction about six months before the experience that caused a huge rash all over her head and neck. This time, things were a lot worse as half of Pauley’s face swelled up “twice the size of my head,” according to the actress’ interview with CBS News. Thankfully, Pauley made a full recovery.

Pauley Perrette believed that no one was ready to see a blonde Abby

Some fans of ‘NCIS’ wondered why Pauley continued to go through with dying her hair if she had such bad reactions to the hair dye. They say that beauty comes with pain, but does that mean stars have to go through agony just to fit into the role? Probably not. However, no amount of allergic reactions would be enough to put Pauley off getting into character.

The actress spoke to Queen Latifah, where she confessed the world wasn’t ready to see “a blonde Abby.” That wasn’t all. Pauley also felt that she wasn’t ready to switch back to her natural locks as the black hair was such an iconic part of the character. It seems Pauley really was dedicated to her part.

Pauley Perrette always dreamed of becoming a cop or a detective

We all have our own hobbies and interests. Pauley’s? It turns out the star used to spend her free time reading “science textbooks” and learning all about real-life crimes. That was all thanks to the spike in violent crimes that took place across Atlanta in the 1980s. Pauley couldn’t help but wonder who could do such things to other people and wanted to know all about various criminals.

It wasn’t long before her morbid interest led Pauley to aim for a life as a cop of a detective. She didn’t just want to read about criminals – she wanted to help figure out who was behind all the crimes and lock them behind bars. That was until Hollywood came knocking, and Abby Sciuto was the next-best thing.

Her interest in crime helped make playing Abby easier for Pauley Perrette

Believe it or not, but Pauley Perrette was so dedicated to a life as a detective that she chose sociology, psychology, and criminal science for her school studies. The actress was even working on a master’s degree in criminology before she decided acting was the way forward. That doesn’t mean that all of Pauley’s hard work went to waste.

According to Wane, Paley found it easier to play Abby. That’s because she actually had an interest in the character’s job and didn’t have to fake any enthusiasm. Pauley also found it easier to get her head – and mouth – around those technical words because she studied them for years. Apparently, Pauley has no regrets about opting for acting over fighting real-life crime.

Pauley Perrette moved around a lot when she was a kid

Pauley Perrette spoke to Wane as she explained that she was born in New Orleans but had to learn to call many other states home throughout her childhood. That’s all thanks to Pauley and her family moving a whopping 13 times when she was growing up. Her dad’s ranch in Alabama was supposedly the only “solid home base” Pauley ever had as a child.

Pauley’s dad worked as a firefighter, so he had to constantly be on the move to make sure he was on the frontlines. Initially, Pauley had an interest in animals and thought that she wanted to work with them. It turns out that Pauley is the only person in her family to move to Hollywood, let alone become a famous star.

She once had dreams to become a punk rock star

When she wasn’t thinking about a life working with animals or learning all about crime, Pauley Perrette was actually in a grunge rock band. Pauley joined Lo-Ball when she moved to Los Angeles and recorded several songs with her band. In fact, some of the songs can still be found on the internet.

To top it off, their song ‘Can’t Get Me Down’ actually appeared in the comedy movie ‘Legally Blonde.’ Pauley told Parade that she always had more of an interest in music than acting when she was younger and was even working on a collaboration with D.M.C. before she hit the big time. It seems that Pauley has been rubbing shoulders with the best ever since she moved to Hollywood.

Pauley Perrette appeared in music videos for some major stars

It wasn’t just her own music that occupied a lot of Pauley’s early days. The actress thought that one of the best ways to get into the business was to find a director who liked her work and see what happened. Pauley’s plan? To work in music videos. Apparently, Pauley was working as a bartender when she overheard a girl made $3000 from a commercial.

The wannabe actress quickly found a director who signed Pauley up to work in music videos for the likes of Salt-n-Pepa, George Michael, and Madonna, just to name a few. Unfortunately, Pauley didn’t walk away with thousands of dollars as she said she’d earn $50 for 12 hours on set. Still, her face can be seen in many great videos.

One of Pauley Perrette’s songs made it into an episode of NCIS

Dabbling in music might not have turned Pauley Perrette into the rockstar that she’d hoped, but it did give her plenty of memories and gave the star a chance to explore a part of the world that had always intrigued her. Thankfully, Pauley has been able to combine her acting and music work over the years. One of Lo-Ball’s songs even made it into an episode of ‘NCIS.’

The tune, ‘FEAR,’ was a personal song for the actress. Pauley opened up about the tune in an interview, where she confessed it was “a love letter to myself when I was scared.” Thankfully, the song went on to help several other people around the world as Pauley believes “it has helped thousands of people.”

Pauley Perrette’s marriage ended after accusations of violence and abuse

It turns out that Pauley Perrette has been married, but it was only once – and it didn’t end well. Pauley walked down the aisle with DJ and musician Francis “Coyote” Shivers. In 2004, Pauley walked away from the marriage and, according to Fox News, filed for a restraining order. It wasn’t just Pauley who wanted to keep Coyote out of her life.

It turned out that Bebe Buell, an ex-wife of the DJ’s, also said that she had been abused and hurt throughout their marriage. As if that wasn’t enough, Angela Garber, a former ex-girlfriend, also claimed that she had been assaulted and abused throughout her relationship with Coyote. All three women wanted to see the DJ out of their lives for good.

Francis Shivers tried to challenge Pauley Perrette’s claims in court

Even though three women were all telling the same stories of abuse and inappropriate behavior throughout their relationships, Coyote still tried to deny the claims in court. He also stated that Pauley Perrette had broken the law. In 2014, Coyote took the actress to court as he claimed she planned to emotionally, physically, and financially ruin him.

The DJ also stated that Pauley had been involved in a “decade-long campaign of harassment.” However, there were a few problems. There was no proof that Pauley had done any of those things, and Coyote had been arrested multiple times for breaking the restraining order. Everything was on the actress’ side as the judge dismissed the case and threw the DJ out of court.

Pauley Perrette revealed that she was abused when she was a teenager

People came out in their swarms in 2013 as they tried to stop Mike Tyson from appearing in a special episode of the crime drama ‘Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.’ It was around the time that one of the biggest producers in Hollywood was accused of inappropriate behavior – a moment in time that saw Pauley Perrette speak up about her own experience.

The actress posted about it all on social media. Here, Pauley confessed that she was just 15 years old when someone caused her severe harm. Apparently, she was in high school at the time, and the event led to a severe downward spiral that still affects her to date. Pauley wanted to stand in unison with other survivors.

The attack left Pauley Perrette with several mental health issues

Of course, the events in Pauley Perrette’s teenage years had major effects on the actress as she said she entered “a series of abusive relationships” that took even more of a toll on her mental health. This also led Pauley to suffer from years of issues with her self-esteem and bullying from her peers.

Pauley wanted the world to know this can be a common event in Hollywood – and the rest of the world. The actress confessed that it took years for her to come to terms with what happened as she believes that people in power often abuse the power they have over others. Now, Pauley wants other survivors to come forward to try and put the people that harmed them behind bars.

A stranger attacked Pauley Perrette outside her Hollywood home

Things didn’t get easier for Pauley Perrette as she became a star and one of the leading faces of ‘NCIS.’ In fact, it just made things worse as suddenly, everyone wanted to get close to the actress. Apparently, Pauley was outside her home in the Hollywood Hills when a stranger approached her. That’s when Pauley said she was in danger as the man started to attack her.

The actress claimed that David Merck grabbed her “forcefully” and “pinned my arm.” David then started to hit the actress in the face and forehead as he told Pauley that he would end her life. David was taken to jail, where he was supposed to be charged with felony offenses of false imprisonment and threats.

Her attacker was released and left Pauley Perrette terrified for her safety

Sadly, things got worse for Pauley yet again. The LA Independent reported that David was “found incompetent to stand trial” due to mental health issues and was sent for psychiatric treatment instead. In 2018, Fox LA reported that David had been released from hospital and was back out on the streets. At the time of the attack, Pauley described the entire thing as “life changing.”

Little did she know that things would take more of a turn as the actress now refuses to walk outside her house. Pauley refused to say much on the matter as she was worried about her safety. However, the actress confessed she believed the next time she heard about her attacker, it would be because he’d ended another woman’s life.

The actress was attacked by a homeless man while sat in traffic

Just a few months after Pauley Perrette was attacked outside her home, the actress was attacked yet again. This time it was while she was waiting in her car in traffic. A homeless man was allegedly asking people for money, so she decided to get a dollar bill out of her purse. Pauley says that she waved him over and tried to hand him the money.

However, Pauley recounted, the man grabbed her wrist and refused to let go – even though she was trying to help. The man supposedly leaned into the car and demanded to know the time, all while holding onto Pauley as tight as he could. The actress says she had no idea how to react and started to look at her dashboard.

Pauley Perrette knows that she needs to be more careful around strangers

Understandably, the actress was completely shaken as the homeless man continued to hold onto her arm. Pauley confessed she recounted a passage from her faith before telling the man the time. Apparently, the man continued to hold onto her arm for a moment before he let go and wandered off into the distance. No one knows if the alleged man was ever caught and charged.

However, it was a huge learning curve as Pauley suddenly realized she needed to be more careful when dealing with people she doesn’t know. On social media, Pauley confessed she is “learning” to be more “safe” and “smart” when it comes to strangers following two random attacks so close together. Either one could have ended her life.

The attack made Pauley Perrette feel compassion toward the homeless man

Although many people would be left completely shaken by a random attack, Pauley Perrette felt upset and distraught from it all – and not for the reasons that many would think. The actress spoke to E! Online following the event. She wrote, “My heart broke for him,” as she thought about what the homeless man must have been going through at the time.

Pauley also admitted she cried that night as she could remember looking into his eyes. Apparently, the actress thought the man’s “soul and his humanity were gone.” Pauley knew the man was living on the street with nothing to his name and felt that it showed a huge “failure as a society” as he was left to fend for himself.

Pauley Perrette works with the LAPD to help tackle homelessness in the city

It’s one thing to talk about an issue; it’s another to do something about it. Pauley Perrette is so affected by the number of homeless people living across the nation that she has joined up with the LAPD to try and create a plan to help. The actress hopes to find a way to build affordable housing to help anyone in need – including those without homes.

CNN also reported that Pauley has gone above and beyond to get to know as many people living in the city as possible. The actress walked the streets of Los Angeles to talk to any homeless people she could find and told them her plans with the LAPD to try and get them a home.

The actress believed that she was being stalked after the passing of Christina Grimmie

It appears that Pauley Perrette has been living in fear for many years. By many years, we mean a decade as the actress believes that she was once stalked by a stranger. It was more than a case of feeling like someone was watching her as Pauley opened up about the stalker experience shortly after Christina Grimmie’s life was taken.

The musician had just finished performing a concert and was signing autographs when her stalker arrived and took Christina’s life before taking his own. Pauley spoke to CBS News, where she confessed the entire event reminded the world about a huge problem across the nation. The actress also added she believed she had been stalked for the last decade and that her life was in danger.

Pauley Perrette campaigned to strengthen the laws around stalking

Pauley Perrette has often used her time in the limelight to open up about causes that are close to her heart. One of the many things on the list are working to make sure everyone is safe from stalkers. Paulay has been working closely with Adam Schiff, a California Congressman, to try and strengthen the laws about stalking.

That’s not all, as the pair also want to update the laws to try and protect vulnerable victims. Pauley told CBS that the laws around stalking hadn’t been updated for more than two decades, but a lot has changed in the world. One of the biggest things that has changed is the use of the internet. Pauley believes that people are too open to stalkers nowadays.

She wants additional orders to be put in place to prevent stalkers

Prevention is always better than trying to heal from something, and that’s the view that Paula Perrette has used over the years. The actress wants to ensure that no one has to go through what she, Christina Grimmie, or anyone else who has been stalked has been through in their life. That’s why Pauley is trying to add more laws to prevent stalkers from destroying someone’s life.

Pauley wants anyone who knowingly helps a stalker to be held responsible for their crimes. The actress also wants the rules around restraining orders to be made harsher and the rules of court to be changed to ensure stalkers can’t wiggle their way out of a crime. If she’s successful, Pauley could save many lives.

The actress believes it was her faith that got her through difficult moments

It turns out that Pauley Perrette has used her faith to get through many troubling moments in her life. The actress says that it was thinking about God that helped Pauley get through both of the attacks in her life. She even quoted religious sayings when the homeless man grabbed her wrist through the window of her car.

Pauley believes that when she talks to God, she feels as though she’s having a conversation. The actress confessed to the United Methodist Church that she doesn’t always get to go to church, but she always feels that her faith is there to get her through. To top it off, the actress says that she has helped encourage events to help others in the neighborhood.

Pauley Perrette has been a long-term supporter of LGBTQ rights

It can be easy to wonder how Pauley Perrette finds time to do anything with everything she has on her plate, but that hasn’t stopped the actress from giving everything her all. Pauley has been a long-term supporter of the LGBTQ community and often turns up at many events within the community. In 2015, Pauley arrived at the GLAAD Media Awards.

The actress spoke to ‘After Ellen’ as the world wanted to know what everyone thought about Pauley’s open support of the community. Pauley admitted she had received a lot of hate throughout her career, but it only made her more proud to be a supporter of the LGBTQ community. Pauley says she doesn’t want to be someone the haters like.

The actress has openly spoken about her dedication to the LGBTQ community

As well as talking about LGBTQ rights whenever she can, Pauley Perrette has also publicly tried to help anyone she can within the community. The actress spends most of her time fighting for the community’s rights in her home city in Los Angeles, but she will always battle for people across the nation, too. In 2016, Pauley opened up about the Los Angeles LGBT Center.

The center first opened its doors in 1969 and has been protecting youths and vulnerable individuals ever since. Pauley was at An Evening With Women when the actress got a little emotional talking about all the good the center has done. As if that wasn’t enough proof, Pauley regularly posts on social media about how she will always fight for equality.

There would be no wedding for Pauley Perrette until LGBTQ marriage was legalized

Many of Pauley Perrette’s fans want to see nothing but the best for the star, which is why so many people were excited to hear she was set to walk back down the aisle – kind of. The actress started dating cameraman Michael Boseman in 2004, but she didn’t want to celebrate her relationship until everyone else had the same rights. Micahel didn’t get down on one knee for four years.

This was because the pair wanted to wait until LGBTQ marriages were legalized in California. That moment came in June 2008. Although the wedding never came, Pauley later got engaged to Thomas Arklie, a former British Royal Marine. The pair once again said they wouldn’t walk down the aisle until LGBTQ marriages were legal across the US.

The actress and her fiancé never made it down the aisle

LGBTQ marriages have been fought for years. In 2004, everything changed as one state finally ruled they were legal. It took 11 years, but in 2015, all 50 states finally legalized LGTBQ marriages once and for all. It was a moment that many people in the community and activists across the nation had been fighting for years. The best bit?

It meant that Pauley Perrette and Thomas Arklie could finally walk down the aisle. At least, that’s what many people thought. Pauley told Fox News that it was “the strangest day” as the couple didn’t rush to set their own wedding date. In the end, things seemed to fizzle out, and the pair never made it to the altar – and have since gone their separate ways.

Pauley Perrette doesn’t think a love life is for her

Pauley Perrette has been pretty open about most aspects of her life as she wants everyone to know they’re not alone. However, the actress remained pretty tight-lipped about her split from Thomas Arklie. It seemed the end of the relationship hit the star more than many people imagined, as Pauley didn’t open up about the split until 2018.

The actress talked to CBS News, where she said that being in love and having a relationship just wasn’t for her. Some thought the wounds were still fresh from her split with Thomas, but it seems the actress could be sticking to her word. Pauley hasn’t been linked to anyone since as the actress believes being single is “the best decision” that she’s “ever made in life.”

Playing Abby Sciuto made Pauley Perrette one of the most popular actresses

It takes something special to land a forever spot in a show. Thankfully, Pauley Perrette was so popular with fans of ‘NCIS’ she had a spot in every episode from its premiere all the way through to 2015 when she left. In the end, Pauley brought Abby Sciuto to life for a whopping 352 episodes. That’s quite an impressive run for any actor.

According to Q Score, Pauley is always on top when it comes to the top-rated female actresses on TV. The actress was leagues ahead of any competition and ranked alongside the likes of Morgan Freeman and Tom Hanks when it came to popularity. Yes, playing a forensic scientist saw Pauley stand alongside some of the biggest names in Hollywood.

The producers of NCIS instantly noticed Pauley Perrette’s popularity on the show

While fans across the world tuned in each week to see Pauley Perrette, people working behind the scenes of ‘NCIS’ also noticed how popular the actress was with their fans. For the first time in a long time, someone different had taken center stage. Abby wasn’t dressed in heels and pouting her way through the show; the goth-loving character was dark and brilliant at her job.

It seemed as though the character had everything she needed to succeed. Executive producers Frank Cardea and George Schneck both told CBS News that Pauley brought “specificity to the role” and “incredible passion” to the set. They also believed that Abby had what it took to inspire millions of fans and would always appreciate Pauley’s dedication to the part.

Some of Abby Sciuto’s most famous tattoos are fake

Although Abby Asciuto’s black hair was always one of the character’s most defining characteristics, it wasn’t the only thing that helped the forensic scientist stand out from the crowd. Remember those huge tattoos that were always on show? Yes, we’re talking about the giant cross that filled Abby’s back and the spider web that was always seen on her neck.

While the actress has plenty of her own tattoos, not all of them were real ink. Yes, the two famous tattoos were actually drawn on by the makeup department. Apparently, the producers of ‘NCIS’ wanted to make sure Abby had tattoos that were always on show – no matter what she was wearing. Adding one to the character’s neck sure achieved that goal.

Playing Abby Sciuto caused “The Abby Effect” across the nation

No one knew just how much of an effect Abby Aciuto would have on the world when they first cast her in the show. Pauley Perrette had the privilege of bringing the influential character to life for 15 years and was part of some pretty memorable moments on the show. It wasn’t until Pauley announced she would be leaving ‘NCIS’ that many people realized how influential Abby had been.

The influence was quickly called “The Abby Effect” as female fans of ‘NCIS’ were so impressed by the character that they wanted to recreate Abby in their own lives. Degrees in science and math shot through the roof as more women wanted to work in predominantly male-led fields for the first time.

The actress has set up scholarships to help students reach their goals

Pauley Perrette was touched by the number of women who were influenced by her performance, so much so, she wanted to try and give back to the community. The actress teamed up with John Jay College of Criminal Science in New York and Valdosta State University in Georgia to help people reach their dreams. Now, students could get a little boost from the star.

That’s because Pauley funds scholarships for anyone studying forensic science who remains in “good standing” and needs a little financial help. If an applicant is successful, they could earn up to $7,500 for four years to help pay for their studies. Pauley hopes this will help “a deserving young person to accomplish their dream.”

Pauley Perrette has so many tattoos that she’s lost count of them all

Many fans love to know all about a star’s favorite ink. How many tattoos do they have? What do they all mean? Which one is their favorite? While they might be great questions, Pauley Perrette might not be able to answer most of them as the actress has lost count of the number of tattoos she’s got over the years.

However, Pauley remembers her favorite are the numbers “12:21” on her ring finger. Apparently, it’s to represent a Bible verse the actress now uses as her mantra as it talks about overcoming evil with good. There is one that Pauley regrets as she got a heart tattooed with her then-husband, Coyote. Thankfully, that seems to be the only tattoo that Pauley regrets.

There were plenty of rumors about why Pauley Perrette left NCIS

People across the world were devastated to learn that Pauley Perrette was set to walk away from ‘NCIS.’ Being one of the longest-running characters meant that she was a part of the furniture. How would anyone ever step into her shoes? Would the show be the same without their favorite character on the scene? There was only one way to find out, and sadly it involved Pauley walking out the door.

The actress announced the 15th season of the show would be her last. Many fans wanted to know what caused the actress to leave and started to speculate online. Some believed something happened behind the scenes and the producers were now mad at Pauley. They thought it wasn’t her choice to leave after all.

Some people thought Pauley Perrette was working on a skincare line

One of the stranger rumors that started to circulate online was the idea that Pauley Perrette was leaving ‘NCIS’ to work on her own skincare line. The actress denied the stories on her social media before opening up about it all on Inside Edition. Here, Pauley said that shady internet companies were using her likeness and name to promote their own products.

They hoped Pauley’s popularity would draw in buyers and make it seem as though she was behind them all. Apparently, some of the purchases meant people were locked into automatic $89 subscriptions, while others were completely fake products. Pauley confessed she only uses baby oil and soap on her face – no fancy skincare products in sight for this star.

The actress reportedly left NCIS after she was assaulted on the set

It didn’t take long for Pauley Perrette to open up about her time on ‘NCIS.’ Of course, that was once she’d left the show and had no more ties to the stars or the crew. The actress left a series of cryptic updates on social media about the real reason she decided to hang up the part of Abby Sciuto after all these years.

Pauley implied that she had been assaulted through “Multiple Physical Assaults” and bullied by others. To top it off, the actress stated a “machine” had kept her quiet, and she refused to say who was behind all the abuse or bullying. CBS was equally as vague when they replied Pauley had spoken about a “workplace concern,” but things had been sorted.

Pauley Perrette fell out with Mark Harmon after his dog attacked someone

There could be another reason that Pauley Perrette decided to leave ‘NCIS.’ The actress continued to confuse many of her fans with social media updates as she posted about an alleged dog attack on the set of the show. Apparently, the dog belonged to Pauley’s co-star Mark Harmon. The incident is said to have taken place in 2016.

Pauley claims that Mark would bring his dog to the set where it bit a member of the crew who later needed 15 stitches. To top it off, the actress says that Mark continued to bring the dog to work, even after everything that happened. Mark’s attorney claimed the dog was always in Mark’s trailer or on a leash, but Pauley wasn’t buying it.

The star hinted that Mark Harmon might have been behind the assault

The incident with the dog was just the beginning for Pauley Perrette and Mark Harmon. Of course, many fans have been desperate to get Pauley back on ‘NCIS’ and constantly ask if she has any plans to return to the show. The actress took to social media to ask people to leave her alone and stop pestering her about ‘NCIS.’ That wasn’t all.

Pauley also stated, “I am terrified of Harmon and him attacking me.” Was Mark the alleged attacker? In response to the claims, CBS posted that they believed all of Pauley’s issues had been worked through, and everyone felt safe before she left the show. The network also thought that if things were that bad, Pauley wouldn’t return to the network.

Pauley Perrette’s new role is completely different from playing Abby

The beginning of 2020 marked a new chapter in Pauley Perrette’s life as she returned to the small screen for the first time since she left ‘NCIS.’ The actress said she needed a break after playing the same character for so many years and took some time away from work to focus on herself. Thankfully, the sitcom ‘Broke’ gave Pauley a chance to return to what she does so great.

The actress plays a single mother on the show who has to move in with her sister and her husband after losing her money. The twist? So has her sibling. Pauley’s new show instantly became a part of CBS’s Thursday night comedy line-up and gave Pauley a chance to tackle an entirely different role.