Fox's fate confirmed!

Sara Sidle may have survived in the desert, but Jorja Fox is saying goodbye to CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

Fox herself did not confirm that she was leaving CSI, but multiple sources have done so according to Ask Ausiello. Fox's contract expired at the end of season seven, and there have only been rumors since then about whether she would remain on CSI. Fox did not sign a new long-term deal with the show, and Sara will be making her exit in November.

When asked what caused her to leave the show when the season is partially over, Fox could not answer because she is still under contract. "I'm not actually allowed to talk about storylines that haven't aired yet," she explained. "So since I've already been sitting in a pile of secrecy since last April, I'm going to have to keep the secret a little longer. I apologize." Fox also would not state whether the rumors about her refusing to show up for filming at the end of season seven were true. She said that she makes it a point not to answer those types of questions. However, she did say that "it was true that my contract was up, and so CBS and I had been in active conversations since about January of '07."

Fox's contract ran out a year before the rest of the cast because of a tradition. "[E]very couple of years, people put in for a raise," she said. "And a couple of years ago everybody put in for a raise, and I decided not to take the raise that was offered me. And If I had taken that raise, it would've added a year to my contract. I'm the only one who didn't take the raise." While Fox said that CSI has been a rewarding experience, she explained that, at the time this raise was offered, she was having doubts. After the firing and re-hiring of herself and George Eads (Nick Stokes), she was not sure if she wanted to sign up for extra time on the show. "And the raise was terrible, to be frank," she added. "An extra year for that amount of money? No thank you. Thank you very much, it's very flattering, but no thank you."

Despite the fact that Fox is leaving the show, she said that she has enjoyed being a part of the CSI family. "I've been one of the luckiest people in the history of TV getting to play the character of Sara," she said. She particularly enjoyed the storyline between her character and Gil Grissom (William Petersen). "I feel like the writers have been extremely generous in terms of giving me a lot to do, especially all the interesting relationship stuff between Sara and Grissom," she said. "I've always had mountains of subtext to do, all under the umbrella of this procedural, which actually made it more fun."

The fate of Grissom and Sara's relationship is up in the air as Fox prepares to exit the show. Executive producer Jonathan Littman stated over the hiatus that the storyline between the two would end in season eight. "I can't contradict what one of our producers said, but I can only tell you from my experience, I don't think you're going to get that," Fox explained. "This might sound vain, but the story of Sara and Grissom is a little like a fable. And most great fables don't really have 100 percent resolution."

Fox did not reveal any information about her remaining episodes on the show, but she did speak about how the season is shaping up overall. "There's going to be a wealth of information that we're going to find out about Sara and Grissom in season eight," she said. "We shot five episodes so far, and I think it's going to be a really exciting, interesting season. The writers have done a phenomenal job. There have been so many twists and turns already, and little bombs that we've dropped, I'm already blown away. I'm like, 'Where's this going? We're only in episode five.'"

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The campaign to keep Jorja Fox on board has escalated to a mind blowing level. In less than a week’s time, Jorja Fox fans have banded together and hired a plane to fly a banner over the CSI offices at Universal City. Yesterday, at 10 a.m PST a banner with blue lettering and pink hearts which read “Keep Jorja Fox on CSI” graced a clear California sky.

Another flyover is set for Thursday at the same time. In addition to the flyover, fans have sent more than 3,200 letters from 37 countries, including Australia, the Netherlands and Japan. Many of letters contain dollars, or currency equivalent, to “help” CBS give Jorja a raise.

Jorja Fox has struck a passionate chord with women around the world. Mel, a mother two currently residing in Canada, sees Jorja as a role model for all women.

“Why am I Jorja Fox fan? The reason is simple. She doesn’t try to convert into society’s idea of beauty and perfection. And this in turn makes her more beautiful. She didn’t set out to be a role model and is humble about it.”

Aimee, a single mom from Missouri, shares a similar sentiment.

“I would really hate to see Sara leave the show. She is an intelligent, driven, successful, beautiful woman and an excellent role model for women. She proves that a woman can be strong and smart, yet still be feminine and desireable. Sara proves that it’s COOL to be a geek and it would a tragedy for the show and the fans to lose such a gifted actress”

Reports that Jorja is leaving the show permanently have not been confirmed by the network or Jorja.

Video and of the flyover after the jump.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrhxbQoCCpI"]YouTube - Dollars for Sense flyover[/ame]

Blooming daft if you ask me - the show isn't about one person :rolleyes:

Gowd you just gotta luv the americans. I hope the writers of CSI have a change of heart. It won't be the same in the show without Jorja. I know one person doesn't make a show but she is part of the CSI team plus it still dosen't make sense to include the romance when they knew her contract was up for renewal. I'm still keeping my fingers crossed that it's just the bigwigs playing mindgames with the fans.

Fans of Jorja Fox (Sara Sidle) have found ways to express their support.
Mike Ausiello recently reported that Fox would be leaving CSI: Crime Scene Investigation after a few episodes this season. Fox herself did not confirm or deny the rumour, but fans quickly found ways to show their support, opening sites such as The Jorja Fox Appreciation Campaign and Dollars for Sense.
Measures taken by fans thus far include sending letters and flyers to the CBS studios and signing online petitions. Flyers have been sent from 39 countries. One online petition, Keep Jorja Fox on CSI, has already gotten more than 2100 signatures. The "Keep Jorja on CSI" campaign has raised money to show support for the actress. The campaign sent 100 balloons to executive producer Carol Mendelsohn at the CSI offices along with cards that said, "Don't Burst Our Bubble! Keep Jorja Fox on CSI." The campaign has also gotten a plane to do a [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrhxbQoCCpI"]flyover[/ame] while trailing a "Keep Jorja Fox on CBS" banner.
Details about Fox's future on the show are still unclear. However, Fox herself has responded to the fan support by sending a letter to The Jorja Fox Appreciation Campaign. In the letter, Fox said that she had been spending long hours filming a very tough episode. "And everyday this week as I arrive somebody knocks on my trailer door and delivers flowers. Beautiful flowers," she wrote. "Thank you all so much. I have the coolest, most wonderful fans ever, seriously, hands down. I'm blown away. And honestly, the pleasure and the privilege is all mine." To read more, visit The Jorja Fox Appreciation Campaign and Dollars for Sense. You can also read the full letter from Jorja on the Saving Sara LiveJournal community.

It was reported last month that Fox was going to be leaving CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. At the time, Fox herself did not comment on the rumours. However, she has now confirmed that her time on the show has come to an end.
The 39-year-old actress told EW.com that it was her decision to leave the show. The choice was made for personal reasons and was not about money. "There are all these things I want to do," she said. "Some are personal. Some are professional. And I really need to do some of them before I get too old." Fox was invited to stay on the show for another year, but she only signed on for part of the season. Her final episode will air in November. "If I thought the show were on its last legs, I would have tried harder to stay the course," Fox explained. "But I feel like its going to be around for a while, so if I don’t want some of those dreams to pass me by, I have to get off the ride for a while."

Please don't let it be true :crying: :crying:

"It's my call — and a very, very difficult one, something I've been thinking about for a long, long time," Fox told Entertainment Weekly. "It's one of the hardest decisions I've made in my life. It has nothing to do with my contract, nothing to do with money." Fox acknowledged the "incredible outpouring of support" that she has received from her fans, as well as their confusion over her departure. She chose to leave CSI: Crime Scene Investigation because "[t]here are so many things I want to do! Some are personal. Some are professional. And I really need to do some of them before I get too old."
Fox described CSI as "a really intense place to work," and she went on to say that one of the things that she has struggled with while working on the show is the violence. "A lot of the stories [on the show] do end sadly and badly," she explained. She anticipated ending up in that violent type of world again eventually, but for now "it's really good for me to take a break from it," she said.
"It has nothing to do with being bored," Fox said. "I wish it did! It would make it a lot easier to go." She had been in talks with CBS since January, and nothing was decided until June. "CBS was very flexible," she said. "We structured something a little odd." Fox was not interested in signing on for a full season, and "they were willing to roll with that." The situation, she pointed out, could have turned out differently if CBS had offered her a take-it-or-leave-it deal. However, "[t]hey were very gracious," she explained.
Fox described filming the eighth episode of the season, which was her last on the show. "The stakes will be very high," she said. "It required me to go deeper than I ever have. It was an emotional episode for everyone, certainly for me. I've been exhausted since before the premiere, in such an odd way." When asked if there was a possibility of Sara returning as a guest star, Fox could not say for sure. "It would be impossible to say definitely one way or another because the writers are still making that stuff up," she explained. "I would never rule anything out. But I'm not trying to lead anybody on, either." If the opportunity arose to guest-star, Fox said that she would be "thrilled." So what's next for Fox? She mentioned travelling and also said that "there are several projects of my own that I'm excited about." However, none of those projects will be television series. "If I'm going to be on a TV show right now, it should be CSI," she explained. "I think I'll give it some time before I even entertain ideas of doing a different show." And as for whether leaving CSI in the first place was a mistake, Fox does not know. "It could be the stupidest thing I've ever done in my life," she said. "Only time will tell."

It's so unfair :crying: :crying:

I really don't want her to leave :( but the Carol Mendehlson says she will be back... fingers crossed!!