On Monday we heard a rumor that Ashlee Simpson, newly fired from her starring role on Melrose Place, is reportedly heading to Broadway to reprise her role in the stage musical Chicago. In what might be confirmation of this Broadway rumor, new pics of Ashlee Simpson rockin’ a newly dyed hair’do have come to light … behold:

This darker, edgy hair’do looks less like the Roxie Hart character in Chicago and more like, well, the Ashlee Simpson that we all fell in love with when she released her debut album all those years ago. You know … I miss that Ashlee Simpson … you know, the one who had stains on her t-shirt and who was the big-gest flirt? Remember?? The fun, pre-nose job Ashlee?? I am not ashamed to admit that I love her album Autobiography … sigh. Ah well, whether she’s headed to Broadway or not, Ashlee’s got herself a hot new ‘do. I approve, she looks great.

[Photo credit: X17]

Now that Ashlee Simpson has been relieved of her acting duties on Melrose Place, it appears that she’s now got herself a bunch of free time to fill up. Rumor has it that Ashlee will be heading to Broadway now that she is in need of a new job. As you may recall, we learned back in August of 2006 that Ashlee would be appearing on the London West End stage as Roxie Hart in their production of Chicago … word on the street is that Ashlee will be reprising that role in the Broadway production of Chicago sometime soon:

Where does a crazy Melrose Place character go after she dies? Apparently, the Windy City by way of the Great White Way. According to reports, Ashlee Simpson-Wentz, 25, isn’t taking a break after getting axed from the prime-time soap. Instead, she’s set to play Roxie Hart in the Broadway production of Chicago, starting in December for six weeks, Gossip Cop reports. It’s not an unfamiliar role. Simpson-Wentz played the role in the London run of the musical. It would, however, be her Broadway debut.

HMMM … altho I remember hearing positive reports from folks who saw Ashlee’s Chicago stint in London back in ‘06-’07, I dunno how I feel about this rumored stint on Broadway. It makes sense that she would want to return to the stage now that she’s been fired from TV. At long last, folks on this side of the pond will be able to see if Ashlee’s got the acting chops to perform on the Broadway stage. Considering the dire economic straits that Broadway productions have been facing in recent months, it’s a risky move to pin one’s hopes on the acting/singing prowess of Ashlee Simpson. Are any of y’all excited to see Ashlee Simpson in Chicago?

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Late yesterday we learned the surprising news that both Ashlee Simpson (who plays Violet) and Colin Egglesfield (who plays Auggie) were fired from The CW’s new version of Melrose Place and at the time producers for the show, Todd Slavkin and Darren Swimmer, told Entertainment Weekly that it had been the plan “all along” to have these characters leave the show early once their storylines wrapped up in December. In a new interview with E!, Egglesfield reveals that that notion is NOT true, that he was not aware “all along” that his character would be written out of the show and, in fact, that when he signed on to the show it was with a multi-year contract as a core main character. Egglesfield has some idea why he was let go, tho … read on:

One day you’re happy as a clam, working as a castmember on a prime-time network drama, and the next day someone’s feeding you a line about changes in your show’s “tone” and shuffling you off to Buffalo. That’s what just happened to departing Melrose Place star Colin Egglesfield, who sums up his rollercoaster Thursday this way: “I’ve had better days, to be quite honest.” We just spoke to Colin exclusively to find out why he’s being pushed out of the show, not to mention where Auggie fits into the show’s big murder mystery, and despite what you may have theorized, Auggie’s not getting killed off, and despite what you may have been told, this exit was not planned from the beginning: “[They said it] was a network decision and obviously the ratings aren’t what they need or want them to be, so they’re going to try things to shake things up.” So what really happened today, and what’s going to happen next on Melrose Place? Here’s what we learned from Colin:

Do you have anything you want to say as a farewell to the fans and the people you’ve worked with?
Todd and Darren are great, I love those guys and they’ve always been straightforward and straight shooters and just great people to work with. I respect the decision that they had to make creatively to do what they need to do, I’m just frustrated that I’m not going to be a part of the show, because it was such a great job and a fun place to go to work every day. I’m disappointed to be leaving because I became really good friends with not only the cast of Melrose Place but many of the crew as well, so that’s sad, to not be able to go see them at work. But hey, I’m still friends with them, and I’d just like to say to everyone out there who’s been watching and supporting, thanks from the bottom of my heart, because this is something that I love to do.

OUCH!! Poor guy … it really sounds like this news came out of nowhere. I absolutely did not believe the bull the producers gave us that the plan all along had been to write these characters out of show from the beginning. As we hear from Colin himself, he just found out yesterday morning … AND, he still has another ep to film on Monday — poor, poor guy. As for Ashlee Simpson, she’s talking about her axing from the show as well. After the jump, check out what she has to say …

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Wow … here is some surprising casting news coming out of Melrose Place … with all the great news about which folks will be joining the cast, I don’t know that many of us (me included) considered who might be leaving the cast. Entertainment Weekly is reporting today that both Ashlee Simpson and Colin Egglesfield have been axed from the show! Their characters will be making their Melrose exit in January after the Who Killed Syndey Andrews? storyline wraps up in December. Um … wow!

Two months into its run, The CW’s ratings-challenged (but creatively-smokin’) Melrose Place reboot is about to undergo a major renovation. For starters, Ashlee Simpson-Wentz and Colin Egglesfield have been let go (they’ll last air in January), and the “Who Killed Sydney?” mystery is being wrapped up in December. Then, in addition to Heather Locklear’s Amanda, several new characters will be introduced and the show will take on a lighter, more fun vibe. Here, in an exclusive interview, exec producers Todd Slavkin and Darren Swimmer explain why they’re fixing a series that many (myself included) felt wasn’t broken and tease what’s ahead for Melrose 2.0 3.0.

Is it fair to say that if either of those characters clicked you would’ve found a way to keep them?
SLAVKIN: Well, you never know when you go along. But in the end, we felt like it was right [decision].
DARREN SWIMMER: The nature of soaps is that as things progress along, the story takes on a life of its own and the characters come and go in relation to that.

After the jump, find out how Ashlee and Colin took the news of their axing and read what Slavkin and Swimmer have to say about the possibility of other castmembers getting the axe from the show …

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Birthday Lurve goes out to Ashlee Simpson-Wentz who celebrated her 25th birthday at Wet Republic at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, NV yesterday. Joined by her hubby Pete Wentz, her older sister Jessica Simpson (not pictured) and a gaggle of her besties, Ashlee partied the day/night away poolside in the LV sun. Here are a few photos:

If you read the tabloids, you probably think Jessica Simpson is overweight and unable to stop crying and her sister, Ashlee Simpson-Wentz, is on the brink of divorce. Both sisters were at Wet Republic on Saturday and demonstrated that you really can’t believe everything you read in the tabloids: Jessica Simpson looked great and her little sister seemed to be very much in love. While supermarket rags claim the seniormost Simpson sister is distraught, insecure and overweight after losing both her boyfriend and her dog, the 29-year-old looked great and was all smiles at the MGM Grand yesterday. Still, supermarket tabloids suggest otherwise. Jessica Simpson was on the cover of Us Weekly last week. “Jessica falls to pieces,” the cover story announced, along with other details of her alleged “meltdown.” “Crying all the time, unable to lose weight and feeling alone, she tells friends she wants Tony back,” it claimed. A week earlier, In Touch ran what they claimed to me an “exclusive” cover story on Sept. 21 that called the singer “desperate.” “Jessica humiliates herself by reuniting with the man who betrayed her,” it charged. “Is she doing it because Nick is back with Vanessa and Tony’s flaunting a new blond girlfriend?” Furthering the attack, People.com ran a story on Sept. 21 declaring, “Friends Worry About Jessica Simpson’s ‘Tailspin’.” “After losing her beloved Maltipoo Daisy to a coyote attack, Jessica Simpson may be at the lowest point of her life,” the story began. The story quoted a source saying, “She won’t leave her parents’ house.” Yet Simpson was very much out of the house yesterday, and was dancing and singing along to the music as she made her way down the staircase to pose for the photographers who were waiting for her along Wet Republic’s blue carpet. Granted, dark sunglasses concealed her eyes and she declined to speak to reporters — but the blonde seemed to be in good spirits, despite it all. What’s more, contrary to stories that claim the singer has packed on the pounds since she and Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo went their separate ways, Simpson looked fit and fabulous in her high heels, a bikini and a stylish, sheer cover-up. Her sister, meanwhile, surprised pool partiers after posing alongside her sister, then retreating out of sight, only to return seconds later with husband Pete Wentz. Instead of having a girls’ weekend in Las Vegas, the Fall Out Boy rocker took a break from his tour to be with his wife on her birthday. So much for the couple wanting to take some time off. Yet Star Magazine suggested on Friday that the couple was definitely on the outs and hinted at a possible off-camera affair on the set of Simpson Wentz’s show. “Ashlee is giddy over Colin (Egglesfield),” Star said, and “her husband is jealous.” “The two have been fighting worse than ever,” the story claimed. The story cited a so-called “’Melrose’ set source” as saying, “On a few occasions, she broke down in sobs after angry phone calls.” Yet Egglesfield seemed to be the furthest thing from Simpson-Wentz’ mind yesterday; her real-life hubby was the only one she was being “overly flirty” with at MGM Grand. “I’m very happy in the moment I’m in,” she told the Sun. “My whole family’s here … the whole nine yards. It’s good to celebrate this with everyone.” In addition to her husband and big sister, her 10-month-old son, Bronx Mowgli; mother, Tina Simpson; and notorious father/manager, Joe Simpson, came to Las Vegas yesterday to mark her birthday. After what proved to be a whirlwind year, the petite brunette said she had a lot to celebrate. “I had such a great year … it was definitely the best year of my life, “ she said. “I had, you know, a child and got married.” She and Wentz tied the knot last May and welcomed their son in November. The young family traveled together and came to Las Vegas for the poolside birthday bash. “I came in today from tour, I’ve been on the road with my husband,” Simpson-Wentz said. The 25-year-old was only here for the day, but did her best “to relax and enjoy (her) friends and family” during the brief trip.

I have to say, I’m happy that Ashlee had herself a nice birthday and I’m also happy to see that reports of Jessica’s meltdown seem to have been greatly exaggerated. To be honest, it’s impossible for Jess to have suffered so much loss and not fall apart just a little bit … so it’s good to hear that she is getting out and moving on. I LOVE Ashlee on Melrose Place … she plays kooky/crazy Violet very well and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for that character. It sounds like Ashlee had herself a very nice birthday and that Jessica will live to see another day. Clearly it was a great weekend for the Simpson sisters!!

[Photo credit: Splash News; Source]

Happily married couple Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz are the latest celebs to join the NO H8 campaign to fight for marriage equality for same-sex couples in this country. Ashl33n were on hand to participate in a photoshoot here in LA yesterday to add their starpower to the cause … here is a pic of the pair on the set of their photoshoot:

Pete Wentz and Ashlee Simpson-Wentz are keeping their mouths shut for gay marriage. The couple are the latest celebs to take part in NOH8, a campaign supporting efforts to overturn Proposition 8. They were shot by photographer Adam Bouska on Monday with the campaign’s signature look: “NOH8″ painted on their cheeks and duct tape over their mouths as a symbol of the pro-gay voices not being heard. Ashlee also holds a wedding veil in the pic. Which other rocker was in the studio with them? Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus also posed for NOH8. Like the Wentzes, Hoppus took part in the big Hollywood rally and protest shortly after the California Supreme Court upheld the ban on same-sex unions. “My son asked me one time, ‘Some guys have girlfriends and some girls have boyfriends, but do boys sometimes have boyfriends?’ ” Hoppus told us at the rally. “I said, ‘Yeah, all kinds of people love different kinds of people. And that’s the world we live in.’ ” Bouska launched NOH8 with his partner Jeff Parshley in November after the passage of Prop 8. Shanna Moakler and a gaggle of other former beauty queen titleholders posed for the campaign shortly after the Miss California Carrie Prejean controversy erupted in April.

Click HERE to see the impressive collection of photos that have been already taken for the No H8 campaign. I think it says a lot that so many straight allies are standing up for the rights of same-sex couples to marry in this country. While there has been much progress in the fight for marriage equality thus far (particularly in the New England States and Iowa), there is still so much work to be done. Much love and respect goes out to Ashlee, Pete, Mark and the rest of the folks who have stepped up to fight the H8.

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New and old actors from new and old CW TV shows made their way to the Gramercy Park Hotel here in NYC last night for The CW Upfronts afterparty … which was basically a chance for them to mix and mingle with one another in celebration of the upcoming season of their various TV shows. Here are a few pics of some of the folks who came out for the soiree last night:

Original Melrose Place alums Laura Leighton and Thomas Calabro were on hand to rep their “new” show, the much talked-about new version of Melrose Place (Ashlee Simpson was on hand to rep the show, too, but she didn’t look nearly as fab as Laura did). Some of the Gossip Girls kids were there as well (both Ed Westwick and girlfriend/co-star Jessica Szohr looked extra crispy). The stars of The Vampire Diaries were in the hiz as well … Ian Somerhalder was lookin’ especially cheeky in his dressed down attire. The CW has got some good-sounding programs coming our way this Fall — we’ll just have to see if they deliver. With the line-up they’ve got planned for this coming season, could Fall 2009 be The CW’s best ever?

[Photo credit: Wireimage]