In 2015, Pauley Perrette made headlines when she was violently attacked by an unhoused man in Los Angeles. She shared her experience on Twitter, explaining that she was walking across a street when the man grabbed her, "pinned my arm, punched me in the nose, forehead repeatedly telling me he was going to kill me... I was alone, terrified and trapped," she confessed. He then told her to "get the f**k out of here," which is exactly what she did. "I almost died tonight," she concluded.

As the Los Angeles Daily News reported, a suspect was subsequently arrested, with Perrette able to positively identify him in court. 

Writing about the incident for Time, Perrette pointed out "the obvious irony of me being an outspoken advocate for the homeless." She also revealed that despite the trauma and PTSD she was still experiencing, she'd come to forgive her attacker. "Of course I forgive him. I have no anger, only sadness," she shared. "He is very confused, he's homeless and he needs help."