Cote de Pablo's upcoming "NCIS" exit has sparked quite a bit of outrage from fans, but CBS insists it tried hard to keep her on the hit series. Ultimately, though, the actress chose to depart the show, no matter how much money she was offered to stay, says CBS Corp. CEO Les Moonves. "I really want to clarify," Moonves told reporters at the Television Critics Association press tour in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Monday. "We offered Cote de Pablo a lot of money, and then we offered her even more money, because we really didn't want to lose her. Look, 'NCIS' was the highest-rated show on television last year. De Pablo, who has played agent Ziva David since the third season of the chart-topping series, will appear in the upcoming 11th season premiere on Sept. 24 in addition to making several guest appearances, to wrap up her character's storyline. "I've had 8 great years with 'NCIS' and Ziva David," de Pablo said in a statement. "I have huge respect and affection for Mark, Gary, Michael, David, Rocky, Pauley, Brian, Sean, all of the team and CBS. "NCIS" airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.