Did CBS censor 'Big Bang' star Kaley Cuoco's tweet?

Dave Nemetz
This Sept. 25, 2012 photo shows actress Kaley Cuoco in New York. Cuoco stars as Penny in the CBS hit comedy, "The Big Bang Theory." (AP Photo/John Carucci)

"The Big Bang Theory" star Kaley Cuoco has found herself in the middle of a big media feud -- all over a single tweet.

According to The Wrap, who first broke the story, it all started when Cuoco tweeted out this paid endorsement for satellite-TV provider Dish's new Hopper DVR to her 1.2 million Twitter followers:

Plenty of celebrities leverage their massive Twitter followings to endorse products, so that's no big deal. The problem? CBS, which airs "Big Bang," is currently locked in a nasty lawsuit with Dish over the Hopper DVR, which allows viewers to automatically skip commercials during primetime shows. So this tweet could be seen as Cuoco taking sides against her own network.

Cuoco's tweet has since been deleted, and her representatives aren't commenting, so it looks like this was just a simple misunderstanding on her part. But the war of words rages on between Dish and CBS.

[Related: 'Big Bang's' Kaley Cuoco Gets Back in the Saddle After a Bad Accident]

When the tweet came down, Dish accused CBS of censoring its star. Dish CEO Joe Clayton said in a statement: "It's disappointing that CBS -- once the exemplar of editorial independence and innovation -- continues to use its heavy hand to hold back progress from consumers."

CBS fired back in scathing fashion: "Once again, Joe Clayton demonstrates his dubious gift for hyperbole and hucksterism... No demands were made, but it's clear that Dish's culture of fabrication is alive and well."

Of course, this won't affect Cuoco's employment at the network; "Big Bang" is still the top-rated comedy on TV, bringing in 17 million viewers each week. But she might think twice before tweeting from now on.

Watch Kaley Cuoco as Penny in this "Big Bang Theory" clip: