Having asked for voluntary buyouts and getting a lackluster response, People editor Larry Hackett went ahead and finally removed enough people to make the 18-person quota. Among them? A one Bryan Alexander, whose status as the tabloid's West Coast Deputy Editor has been up in the air ever since his relationship with Mary Margaret, who happened to be promoted from intern to writer/reporter under his watch, blew open.

And now, a sigh of relief for People staffers, especially those just let go this week: Alexander has officially joined you in the unemployment line.

We're told Alexander was among those counted as laid off in People's round of pink slips. He was officially fired two days ago, according to a source. Everyone assumed he was already axed, given he was spotted cleaning out his desk, and hadn't been seen at the L.A. office since our item ran. But we also heard that even after leaving the office, he was still moving on stories for the magazine, and calling L.A. staffers to see if they working on the pieces too.

Alexander, of course, also got into trouble with management when he began assigning stories to his brother Regan in a glorious exercise in nepotism. For what it's worth, Regan will no longer be working for the magazine either.

But you know who will be? Mary Margaret, Bryan's rumored intraoffice paramour. Some suspect she still has a job with People because it's more fiscally responsible to keep a junior staffer employed than entertain the possibility of a sexual harassment lawsuit. But what do we know?