The singer/actress landed the role of Violet Foster, a small-town girl new to Los Angeles, in the remake of the 1990s soap opera.

But Simpson-Wentz's part has now been cut from the show, along with co-star Colin Egglesfield's character Auggie Kirkpatrick.

"Ashlee was kicked off Melrose Place because she was a total diva on set, late all the time, and deeply disliked by fellow cast members," an insider said. "It created a lot of discord among the cast."

Executive producer Todd Slavkin says, "We felt that once the murder mystery (involving their characters) was resolved, the tone of the show was going to shift ... and (Simpson-Wentz's) character would move on."

Slavkin says, "They knew ahead of time (that leaving was a possibility); it wasn't a complete shock." (c) tPC (c) WENN