In 2016, when Michael Weatherley’s exit was announced, no reason was given for his departure, although The Hollywood Reporter linked the news to an incident in which Weatherly pleaded no contest to driving under the influence and was sentenced to an alcohol recovery program. Later that year, when announcing his new legal drama “Bull,” he explained during the Television Critics Association’s press tour, “I was burnt out by ‘NCIS’ and I was ready for a new challenge.” He explained that he was tired of the grind, as THR reported, and said, “It really felt like a circle that had gone all the way around and I really felt happy with the resolution of character and my time on the show.”
He also told TV Insider that he was experiencing wanderlust and that there were other things he wanted to do. Plus, he wished to spend time with his family, which includes his physician wife Bojana Jankovic, their children, and a son from his previous marriage (via Hello). “NCIS” is well known for its long hours (actor Sean Murray told StarryMag in 2020 that the average workday was 12 hours for the actors, which was an improvement over previous years). As noted, those hours drove colleague Sasha Alexander away after just two seasons. So this wasn’t surprising — Weatherly had, after all, been on the show for 13 seasons.
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