NCIS creator Donald Bellisario sued his own show after Mark Harmon’s ‘betrayal’

NCIS creator Donald Bellisario sued the CBS network after a bitter feud with actor Mark Harmon who allegedly betrayed him during the development of the first spin-off series.In April of 2011, Donald took legal action against the network after he claimed that his contract was breached and he was owed millions of dollars from NCIS: Los Angeles . In his contract, Donald claimed that there was a clause that granted him the rights to have the “first opportunity” to create the first NCIS spin-off series. But after a new creator was hired to lead the project instead of him, Donald accused CBS of violating his contract and accused Mark of influencing the decision.

lawsuit came after Donald accused Mark of encouraging the move to remove Donald from the project amid their ongoing tiff. Donald and Mark reportedly butt heads during the filming of the first four NCIS seasons because the leading actor disliked the creator’s “chaotic management style.” According to TV Guide, Mark worked 16 hours every day and during his long hours Donald reportedly micromanged his every move.