Megan Fox has been axed from “Transformers 3,” Access Hollywood has confirmed.
A source at Paramount, the studio behind the film, told Access that Fox, who played star Shia LaBeouf’s love interest in the franchise, would not return for the third movie.
The source said that in order to take LaBeouf’s character — Samuel James Witwicky — in a new direction, it was better if Sam wasn’t tied down to a love interest.
On Wednesday night, however, a rep for the actress told Access Hollywood that it was Fox's decision to leave the movie.
“Megan Fox will not be starring in ‘Transformers 3,’” the rep told Access. “It was her decision not to return. She wishes the franchise the best.”
Nikki Finke, who first reported the news for Deadline that Megan was out, claimed that decision was “ultimately” director Michael Bay’s.
Bay’s rep was not immediatley available for comment when contacted by Access.
The news of Fox’s departure from the “Transformers 3” cast comes just months after a dispute emerged between Fox, unnamed “Transformers” crewmembers and even the director.
Fox compared her director to “Hitler” and “Napoleon” during an interview with Britain’s Wonderland Magazine’s September/October 2009 issue.
“He’s like Napoleon and he wants to create this insane, infamous mad-man reputation,” Fox said at the time.
“He wants to be like Hitler on his sets, and he is,” she continued. “So he’s a nightmare to work for but when you get him away from set, and he’s not in director mode, I kind of really enjoy his personality because he’s so awkward, so hopelessly awkward.”
Shortly thereafter, members of the “Transformers” crew posted an open letter on the director’s site, condemning the actress for her behavior on set, calling Fox “the grump of the set,” as well as “thankless, classless, graceless” and “unfriendly.”
The letter was quickly removed and Bay eventually addressed all the comments a short while later.
“I don’t condone the crew letter to Megan. And I don’t condone Megan’s outlandish quotes,” Bay wrote in a blog post on his official Web site. “But her crazy quips are part of her crazy charm. The fact of the matter I still love working with her, and I know we still get along. I even expect more crazy quotes from her on Transformers 3.”
“Transformers 3” has reportedly already begun filming.