As the whole world now knows, as of last week, Megan Fox is no longer part of Transformers 3.  What happened?

Deadline reported that Paramount decided not to pick up her option, but the decision came from Michael Bay — meaning he effectively fired her.  But then Fox’s publicist went to TheWrap with the story that Fox actually quit, because of Bay’s “verbal abuse” on the first two films.

The amusing part is that Deadline and TheWrap are competitors known to badmouth each other at every opportunity.  So which one are you supposed to believe?

As annoying and sexist as I usually find Michael Bay, the most likely explanation tends to be whatever came out first: that she was fired.  If she actually quit but didn’t make it public until after Paramount leaked otherwise, she has a terrible publicist.  (Then again, denying that she was fired so late and tepidly means that’s probably true anyway.)

Besides, what would be the point of Paramount spreading misinformation?  If she quit, she quit, no need to get embroiled in a public war of words.  Studios aren’t that petty.  Bay maybe, but studios, no.  Right?