Ashlee Simpson showed a cheerful disposition as she was spotted leaving a house in Studio City.

Simpson just learned the news that she’s been let go from the CW’s “Melrose Place” series.

A source says: “Ashlee didn’t see it coming, and now she’s crushed. She invested her heart and soul into the job. She feels like the rug has been pulled out from under her.”

Meanwhile, producers of the show have released statements saying that Miss Simpson knew her character would have a short-term role on the series.

In even juicier gossip, reports are saying that Heather Locklear, who famously starred as icy PR vixen Amanda Woodward on the original Melrose Place in the 1990s, got into the mother of all catfights with Ashlee on the set as a rivalry ensued over who would be the show’s official Queen Bee.

While producers insist Ashlee’s departure is storyline-dictated, production insiders say the 25-year-old wife and mother was railroaded by an envious Heather, who was gunning for Ashlee from the moment she arrived on set for an “Amanda Returns” guest arc airing next month.

“Heather was jealous of Ashlee immediately,” says an insider. “She knew Ashlee was one of the bigger names on set, and she wanted her gone so she could make it her show. Heather is very politcial and calculating…”

On Oct. 22, The CW abruptly announced that Ashlee along with co-star Colin Egglesfield had been booted from the show. Producers are hoping Heather’s familiar face will be a show-saving draw for the critically-panned and ratings-challenged Melrose 2.0.

Informants say that’s precisely why bosses had no problem ditching Ashlee — who will exit her role as Violet Foster — after 48-year-old Heather complained Ashlee been poking fun of her age to other members of the cast and crew.

Now that her sister Ashlee Simpson-Wentz has been canned on Melrose Place, Jessica Simpson says she isn’t a fan of the CW soap.

The singer, 29, used to promote her sister’s former show regularly on her Twitter (”Everyone watch my sis on melrose place tonight,” she wrote Oct. 20).

But on Sunday, she changed her tune drastically. Jessica wrote: “CW catching up on MP.who writes this crap? i have had bad scripts to work with,but this? thank God my sister is amazing and got you some press.”

Actually, insiders are saying that the producers don’t think Ashlee is a very good actress!

Ashlee, a veteran of TV’s 7th Heaven, was canned because producers thought she couldn’t act.

“They hired her because they needed a good name to help create buzz,” a set insider says. “But she was embarrassingly bad. Producers cut her down as much as possible.”

Seconds another source: “She’s the worst actress, but nobody will tell her.”

So what’s next for Ashlee?

Possibly more acting.

The mom of 11-month-old Bronx (dad is rocker Pete Wentz, 30) doesn’t want to return to her songstress roots. “She’s reading scripts. Acting is her focus now,” a source says. “If she had an album, she’d have to tour and be away from Bronx. She wants consistency.”

Jessica Simpson, 29, knows what qualities she is looking for in a man.

“I definitely love a spiritual man — somebody that is going to always inspire me.”

“I don’t want to get bored. I can bore out pretty easily, so I love intellectual men … people that will always keep me intrigued.”

“And, you know, I love artistic men — somebody that really understands their art.”

“I like a confident man.”

Besides the confident part, do any of those qualities sound like her most recent boyfriend, Tony Romo? Yeah, we didn’t think so either.

Continuing work on her upcoming “The Price of Beauty” show on VH1, Jessica Simpson was spotted out in Mumbai, India complete with a bindi dot on her forehead. She also sported an intricate Mehendi design on her hand, the kind typically worn at wedding and religious ceremonies.

Simpson was there with her BFF Cacee Cobb and celebrity hair stylist and close friend Ken Paves. They attended a bash in Jessica’s honor at the Vie Lounge in downtown Mumbai after spending the day on a shopping spree in the markets of Colaba.

Jessica Simpson is upset about people giving her false tips about the whereabouts of her pet dog Daisy, which has been missing after a coyote dragged it off from her Los Angeles home.

Simpson, having given up the search for her five-year-old Malti-poo, says on her Twitter page that she doesn’t appreciate the false information her loved ones have received from pranksters claiming Daisy is alive.

“People have been contacting my family and friends saying that Daisy has been found. Untrue. People are so cruel. please respect her memory.”

After a week of searching, which included hanging posters that offered a reward and enlisting professional pet finders FindToto.com, Daisy was never recovered.

Jessica Simpson’s friends are worried about her now that she is coming to terms with the loss of her beloved dog, Daisy. People close to her say that she is at the lowest point of her life.

A friend says, “Daisy was her baby. It’s going to put her into a tailspin. It will put her into the worst place ever.”

Daisy was snatched away by a coyote before Simpson’s very eyes in Los Angeles last week, and, despite Simpson’s refusal to quit searching and offer of a reward, no sign has been seen of the caramel-colored dog. She was given the dog by [her] then-husband Nick Lachey in 2004, and Jessica and Daisy became inseparable.

“She won’t leave her parents’ house,” a source says.

“Whenever things went wrong for Jessica, she reached for Daisy,” another source, a friend, says. “Daisy was her security blanket. When people let her down, she always had Daisy.”

Daisy was perhaps one of the most pampered pets in Hollywood. Simpson fed Daisy steak, not dog food, and referred to herself as “Daisy’s Mommy.” When leaving the house, Simpson left on the air-conditioning for her dog; and when Daisy was sick, Simpson refused visitors so that they wouldn’t wake Daisy. She threw Daisy birthday parties, and when she talked about having a “girls’ night in” with a video, she was talking about herself and Daisy.

Whenever she was out at night, Simpson called home and had “someone put Daisy on the phone so she could say goodnight.”

“Daisy ran the household,” the friend said. “If Daisy didn’t like you, you were gone. Sometimes if her regular hair and makeup people weren’t available and Jessica had a sit-in, if Daisy didn’t like them, they wouldn’t be back. Daisy ran the roost.”

When Simpson was having relationship problems, “she would cry herself to sleep at night, using Daisy as a pillow.”

“Jessica is very needy. She is very clingy,” the friend said. “She is so sweet, but sometimes because of that she’s hard to be around. It’s not always easy. She hates to be alone. That’s what happened with [ex-boyfriend and Dallas Cowboys quarterback] Tony [Romo]. Jessica smothers people. She doesn’t really have any hobbies. Daisy was exactly what Jessica needed.”

Jessica Simpson has had a tough year.

This is awful! Jessica Simpson’s dog Daisy was stolen by a coyote yesterday.

According to Jessica’s Twitter account:

My heart is broken because a coyote took my precious Daisy right in front of our eyes. HORROR! We are searching. Hoping. Please help!

Not to be a pessimist, but if you saw the coyote take the small dog, the outcome probably isn’t going to be good.

Although John Mayer is “still cool” with ex-girlfriend Jessica Simpson, a source says he was showing off nude pictures of her while at L.A.’s Chateau Marmont with skateboarder Rob Dyrdek and another pal.

A hotel regular had come over to their table when Mayer pulled out his phone. “I was expecting random girl photos,” the source says. “It was three naked pictures of Jessica Simpson!”

Mayer and Simpson dated for nine months and their relationship ended in 2007, but sources say the two keep in touch via text.

According to the source, Dyrdek joked, “That’s why Jess is always on her best behavior with John!”

A Mayer rep says, “This is an absolutely ridiculous report.”

As if Mayer’s rep would confirm this story! Wouldn’t it be kind of hilarious if it is true? Jessica just needs to hope that Mayer stays in the news, because he is an attention-whore and will do anything for the media to notice him…like ‘accidently’ release pics of a famous ex-girlfriend.

Jessica Simpson outed her pooch via Twitter this morning. Her dog, Daisy, a maltipoo who was a gift from ex-husband Nick Lachey, is a lesbian, according to Jessica.

“Daisy and her best friend Bella back together again,” Simpson captioned a photo. “Lesbian lovas forever!”

Now that Tony Romo and Jessica Simpson are very much over, the Dallas Cowboy has instructed security to keep Jessica out of his neighborhood.

A sign at the entrance of Romo’s gated community reads: “RED ALERT!!! TONY ROMO HAS MADE SOME CHANGES TO HIS LIST OF PEOPLE ALLOWED IN….JESSICA IS NO LONGER ON THE LIST AND NOT APPROVED FOR ACCESS.

We’re guessing this was just a precaution of some kind. It doesn’t seem like Jessica was hanging out and trying to get back into Romo’s house. Simpson paid $19,000 on July 15 to ship 37 boxes worth of her belongings from Dallas to L.A. overnight.

It seems like this time around, the Romo-Simpson romance is over for good. Done and done!

Splittsville!

Tony Romo has broken up with Jessica Simpson.

Sources say that Romo dumped Jessica on Thursday, the night before her 29th birthday.

OUCH!

“They go from one fight right into another, without a second break. It’s always something with Jessica.” Another friend added, “It’s been a long time coming.”

Jessica and Tony, who began dating back in November of 2007, were always under pressure from the media, whether it was for her weight, or his poor performance on the field while she was in the stands.

The Dallas Cowboys quarterback fueled breakup rumors when he showed up with about 14 friends at the Hollywood hotspot MyHouse on Friday night without the birthday girl.

“He had quite a few girls stop by his dance floor table,” says an onlooker. “Romo was sipping Grey Goose and having a fun time with the boys.”

Simpson had planned to throw a Barbie and Ken-themed party for her birthday, but it fell through, according to a message she wrote on her Twitter page Saturday. “Barbie party didn’t happen, but I turned 29 and feel like I am on top of the world yelling I LOVE GETTING OLDER!” she wrote.

So do you think it was the constant fighting or the Barbie and Ken party that sent Romo over the edge?! And we seriously doubt that a 29-year-old woman who is throwing herself Barbie parties loves getting older.

Hey Jessica, Nick Lachey is newly single too!