Frustrated by their star’s continuing complaints, sources say, “CSI” decides to get rid of Jorja Fox once and for all - but the actress finds a way to foil their plans (for now!)

Head honchos at CBS’s top-rated crime drama “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation”, sick of actress **Jorja Fox"“s unending salary demands, decided to kill off her popular character - Sara Sidle - once and for all, a source tells “Star”! But, the insider says, when Fox got wind of their plans, she refused to film Sara’s pivotal death scene in the season finale.

“Jorja demanded a major raise over her $100,000-per episode salary,” according to the source. “CBS offered a moderate raise, but far from the doubling of salary she was hoping fore.” When Fox balked, the source says “CSI” decided to say “Sayonara, Sara!”

AWOL ACTRESS  

Diva Deja Vu: Fox’s First Firing!  

Jorja and George Eads were kicked off the show in 2004 during a salary dispute, but ended up crawling back - without a raise. “There comes a point where we feel a contract is a contract,” CBS boss Les Moonves said at the time.

“They decided to kill off her character in the final episode being shot in late April,” the insider explains. “She was ordered to the Las Vegas location to film the death scene. It was to be very grisly, with her character being run over by a car. She was meant to twitch and die, crushed by the weight of the car.”

But rather than be part of her character’s gruesome demise, the source says, Fox went AWOL! “Apparently Jorja didn’t want to cooperate in the bloody end of Sara Sidle, so she simply didn’t show,” the insider shares. “It was absolute chaos.”

With the actress unavailable for the episode’s final scenes, “CSI"“s producers huddled to craft an alternate ending. “They were filming in Las Vegas over a weekend, so it was very difficult,” the source continues. “With a full crew standing by, the cost was staggering.

“Producers made emergency calls to writers,” says the source. “[Star] Marg Helgenberger had to be flown in from Los Angeles to Vegas. Wardrobe and makeup people had to scramble to get the appropriate costumes together.”

“It was a miracle they pulled it off. One thing’s for sure, Jorja probably won’t be invited back next season. They were furious at having been left in the lurch.”

“CSI” IN CRISIS  

“CSI” is no stranger to on-set controversy, but “this is pretty much the worst crisis the show has faced,” the set source tells “Star”. And there have been quite a few!

One even involved Jorja, who was fired, along with costar George Eads, in 2004, before being reinstated. […]

STAYING ALIVE  

Fox’s latest mutiny will likely not be forgiven, according to the insider. “The network and the producer are fed up,” says the source. CBS declined to comment on this story, but Fox’s rep denies the actress made any additional salary demands. “She did not demand a raise. Her contract is up, and they are in conversations, but it has yet to be determined if she will be back next season,” says the rep. “The season finale is open-ended. She filmed it, which you will see when it airs.”

Indeed, the set source says Fox did film some scenes for the finale, set to air May 17, regarding Sara’s relationship with **William Petersen"“s character, Gil Grissom. but the only reason the show is a cliffhanger, the source claims, is because Jorja didn’t show up to get killed!