Then something funny happened during summer hiatus. People Magazine ran it's 50 Most Beautiful People issue, and in a surprise to everyone reading, Harry Kim (Garrett Wang) made the list. The producers back-pedaled and decided to use this as a means to boost the show's popularity, and opted to get rid of Lien instead.
That said, I never bought this, because just two years prior, Deep Space Nine added Worf to the cast without letting any of the regulars go to make room.
Yeah, I remember reading that claim. She was a pretty actress, but a bit of an odd fit on the show and not much chemistry with Neelix, her “love interest.” It seemed clear she was explicitly targeted to be pushed out to emphasize Jeri Ryan. As I postulated, I don’t think she ever quite got over being let go and her career went nowhere over the next several years until she dropped out completely. Of course, that wouldn’t be the first time that happened to an actor or actress.