Why Every Main Character Left NCIS
Jacqueline Sloane – Maria Bello
Maria Bello left NCIS because she didn’t want to renew her contract for the series. Dr. Jacqueline “Jack” Sloane (Maria Bello), a former Lieutenant in the US Army, served as the team’s operational psychologist and profiler.
The NCIS senior special agent had a close relationship with team leader Jethro Gibbs, to the point that the team would frequently rib the pair by hinting at a relationship between them.
Though Sloane had hoped to retire to a peaceful life in Costa Rica, she ultimately decided to return to Afghanistan and further help those in need, continuing the work of a murdered friend.
Maria Bello’s exit from the show is another that seems to be in good spirits. After three years, the actress simply decided not to renew her contract, although she has never stated why. Bello expressed her love and gratitude for the cast and crew in a 2020 post (via Instagram), stating that she has “never worked with a kinder, more generous group of people.” Since leaving NCIS, Bello has appeared in the Netflix series Beef and was a co-writer on the award-winning movie, The Woman King.
Leroy Jethro Gibbs – Mark Harmon
Gibbs left NCIS because he decided to retire from the series. As the team members of the NCIS Major Case Response Team rotated out, Agent Jethro Gibbs seemed like a permanent fixture. Taking no nonsense from his agents, Gibbs ran his team like a well-oiled family, keeping them all in line with a series of his own rules while ensuring they always got their guy in the end. While it seemed like Gibbs would run his team forever, he made the surprising decision to retire to Alaska in 2021, where he finally found peace.
After 18 years on the show, Mark Harmon is stepping down from NCIS — in an acting capacity, anyway. Harmon will continue to serve as an executive producer on the show, working behind the scenes instead of in front of the camera. An on-screen return for Gibbs is not entirely out of the question, but nothing has been confirmed yet. Still, a large faction of NCIS fans is eagerly awaiting his return. Harmon has mostly stepped back from acting, as he has appeared in nothing since leaving NCIS. As for Harmon, he was happy with his exit from NCIS (via Hello!).
