“CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” actress Jorja Fox is looking back on her and cast mate George Eads’ temporary firing from the show as “a very bad dream that lingered. You think, ‘This can’t really be happening,’ but it is.”

In her first interview since the highly publicized souring of the actors’ contract renegotiations, Fox tells us she feels she and Eads have been unfairly slammed by some of the media – and that much of what has been reported about the dispute and its resolution has been inaccurate.

“Seven of the eight cast members had put in for a raise – probably all eight did, but I can only confirm seven,” she says. “When you are lucky enough to be on a show that’s a hit, you put in for a raise. That is commonly done … There have been some very ugly contract renegotiations in Hollywood, but I didn’t think this was going to be one of those by any means. I’m not one to make demands and hold out. That’s not my style. I’m not a thug. It was kind of a bunch of strange events that lined up for this to happen.”

Fox reveals that “to CBS’s credit,” she was offered a raise, “but I decided not to take it for two reasons. One, it would have said this was about the money, and it wasn’t about the money. And two, George was out at that time, and we didn’t know what was going to happen, and to achieve or acquire something on the event of someone else’s firing just didn’t feel right to me.”

The actress refrains from getting into specifics, and “I won’t talk about George.” She will say, “It’s definitely easier to be fired with a buddy, and it sounds terrible, but George is someone wonderful to be fired with.”

They commiserated during their ouster and had a drink together once it was over. This week, she reports, six of the cast members are doing a scene together, and “I’m sure the mood will be celebratory. We shut down for 10 days over this, and in that time, everyone in the cast and crew had a chance to think about how much we love doing this show. Coming back, it’s been kind of like a renewal of vows.”