"NCIS" actor David McCallum expressed his confusion about Cote de Pablo's departure from the show. He believed she couldn't handle the demands of her character, Ziva David. McCallum was shocked when de Pablo quit right before Season 11 began. De Pablo, however, cited issues with the show's writing and lack of good scripts as the reason for her departure. She wanted a proper resolution for Ziva's romance with Anthony DiNozzo.

Eventually, the conflict seemed to have resolved, and both actors moved on.