‘NCIS’ season 11: Pauley Perrette on suddenness of Cote de Pablo exit

Earlier this weekend, we shared how “NCIS” boss Gary Glasberg was completely stunned to learn about Cote de Pablo’s decision to leave after eight years on the job, so much so that there were significant parts of the story that had to be rewritten in order to accommodate her exit. It was a back-to-the-drawing board moment for a show that often moves along like clockwork, and we have also learned now that many of the show’s cast members were also equally stunned.

While we have already heard Pauley Perrettte wish Cote the best for her future away from the show, the following quote (per E! News) is the first time that she explained just when she found out the news about her co-star’s departure, and how there was no drama with her exit.

“I found out literally 20 minutes before it was released in the press. But we love her. She’s our friend. She had a personal decision to make. No one wanted her to leave. There was no drama…there really isn’t much to tell. There really wasn’t any drama. But we love her, we respect her and that’s what happened.”

Therefore, the past few weeks on set have served as a transition period for the actors, as they have been forced to really process their own emotions and say goodbye to a longtime co-worker. That is not always an easy thing to do given that you start to feel like a family the longer you spend time with someone.

But, life goes on, and it sounds like the producers have some crafty plans to try and move the show forward following Cote’s exit. If you have not heard about some of them just yet, you can find out just by heading over to the link here.

Photo: CBS