"Nashville" fans have been through the ringer over the past few months, with the show cancelled by ABC, then picked up by CMT, then plagued with rumors that its leading lady, Connie Britton, will be departing the series mid-season. So is this really the end for Rayna Jaymes?

Britton herself responded to those reports -- in a roundabout way, anyway -- in a quick interview with TVLine while walking the Emmys red carpet on Sunday. When asked about the rumors that have been circling the show in recent weeks, the actress didn't exactly deny their veracity, but didn't say they were true, either.

"I don't know where that stuff came from," Britton said diplomatically. "It's kind of crazy the things that come out."

While that's not exactly a straight answer, Britton's next statement made it clear that regardless of how long her season five stay in "Nashville" will last, she's excited about what's in store.

"We have amazing new writers that I'm so excited about," the actress told TVLine, giving a shout-out to new showrunners Marshall Herskovitz and Ed Zwick. "It's gonna be the best writing that we've ever seen on 'Nashville.' And probably the best season we've ever had."

That's high praise, and we can't wait to see if Britton's prediction pans out -- and how long she sticks around. Season five of "Nashville" debuts on CMT on January 5.

[via: TVLine]

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