Why Did Cote De Pablo Leave NCIS?

When Cote de Pablo joined "NCIS" in Season 3, some fans struggled to stop comparing her to Sasha Alexander

whose character, Special Agent Caitlin 'Kate' Todd, had just been killed off in the Season 2 finale.

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Alexander had been on the show since the first episode and was well-liked by the audience.

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When it became clear that de Pablo's Special Agent Ziva David was nothing like Kate

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"NCIS" viewers began to warm up to her, and Ziva's personality was fleshed out and explored in ways that Kate's had not.

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However, de Pablo decided to leave the show in 2013, and fans were surprised when Ziva was killed off.

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During a Q&A about her "NCIS" departure in 2016, Cote de Pablo stated that she left because she was unhappy

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