Bring on the Lawyers...

E! Online's Marc Malkin says Rachelle Lefevre and Summit have called in the lawyers:

I'm told the actress formerly known as Twilight's Victoria isn't planning on releasing any more statements like the one she sent me yesterday. Same for Summit—the corporate lips are sealed.

Why? Because now the bloody mess is apparently being hashed out by lawyers.

What's on the table? Read on to find out…

In short, Lefevre wants her money. Summit is arguing she's due nothing because the studio insists she's in breach of contract for signing on for the indie flick Barney's Version.

"Rachelle's contract says she's allowed to do smaller projects like Barney's Version," one source said.

Meanwhile, her Twilight and New Moon costars are "devastated," said another source. "As nice and lovely as Bryce [Dallas Howard] is, they feel like a family member has been taken from them."

But don't expect them to go public with too much anti-Summit talk. As my gossiping cohorts over at The Awful Truth point out, Lefevre's dismissal sends a very strong message—or warning—not to mess with the studio.

Sources also tell me that shortly after Summit announced Lefevre's dismissal, the rest of the cast was told not to elaborate on the circumstances to the media, beyond repeating that it was due to a scheduling conflict.

"But that was before the Rachelle and Summit statements yesterday," a Twilight insider said. "Who knows what they'll ask them to say now."

Source