Ashlee Simpson Evicted from Melrose Place

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America's unemployment statistics have just grown by one. Actually, two.

EW.com reports that Ashlee Simpson has been relieved of her duty as a cast member of Melrose Place, along with Colin Egglesfield. The pair's last episode will run in January.

Melrose Place executive producer Todd Slavkin explains that Simpson and Egglesfield were dropped because the "Who Killed Sydney?" plot line will wrap up in December, at which point the pair's characters will have outlived their usefulness.

Says Slavkin,

"We always knew that this murder mystery would end in episode 12. And we always knew that [Ashlee's] character of Violet would be instrumental in that as a suspect, and [Colin's character of] Augie as well. And once that murder mystery was solved, she would go on her way. That was the original plan going into the development of the show."

Following Simpson and Egglesfield's departure, original Melrose Place resident Heather Locklear is coming aboard, along with several new faces, for what Slavkin calls a "much more fun, romantic, sexy upbeat kind of show."

On the plus side, at least Simpson will have a lot more time to spend with her son Bronx Mowgli.

Let us know in the comments section: Will you be sad to see Ashlee go?