Friends, the most popular sitcom on television, is getting ready to end with a stunning dramatic blockbuster- pregnant Rachel, played by Jennifer Aniston, will die giving birth to her love child! "There's never been a heart-rending Friends episode like this before," a show insider tell the Star. "It will be the most shocking scene ever played out on TV"

Three top-secret, sensational endings- including the death of Rachel, are being penned by the shows writers, Star has learned. The move comes as the Friends cast enters negotiations for a ninth season.

With both show insiders and Matt LeBlanc, who plays Joey, saying There's a "50-50" chance that the stars will decide to call it quits at the end of the current season, producers sprang into action to create three different exit scenarios.

The cast will be kept in the dark about which ending will be used until the air date. But a well-placed insider on the Burbank, California set where the show is taped tells Star that Jennifer Aniston and the show's top execs are eager to kill off Rachel in a ratings-grabbing bonanza no matter how the money talks end.

"Jennifer doesn't want to come back to the show, and wants to go out with a bang," says the insider. "It's a huge gamble, but the producers are convinced it could be the ratings-winner of all time!" Last season, more than 30 million viewers watched as Monica, played by Courteney Cox Arquette, married Matthew Perry's character Chandler.

Execs believe if Rachel dies tragically, it could triple that amount and rival the 1983 M*A*S*H ender that drew 106 million viewers, the Who Shot JR? episode of Dallas in 1980 at 83.6 million viewers and the last half hour of Cheers that drew 80.5 million. The new twist has the full support of Aniston, 33, who is married in real life to movie hunk Brad Pitt, 38. She's determined to quit because she wants to have her own baby, say sources.

"Jennifer is anxious to start a family," says another source close to the NBC production. "She wants to devote all her time and energies on getting pregnant. She and Brad want lots of kids. That's part of reason why she recently announced she's changing her last name to Pitt- it's symbolic of her commitment to being a wife and mom."

After eight long years on the top of the sitcom heap, Aniston is also ready for a career change. She wants the freedom to concentrate on a serious movie career, say insiders. The new flicks she's made during breaks from Friends, such as last years "Rock Star" and 1999s "Office Space" have been bombs. "If she leaves Friends, it would allow her to make movies AND babies," says the source.

"Jennifer see Rachel's death as the perfect opportunity for her to start her new life"

Fans have been captivated by the recent story line that has unmarried Rachel expecting a baby after a one-night fling with old flame Ross, played by David Schwimmer.

Star has learned that writers are hatching an episode in which Rachel delivers a healthy daughter, but dies from complications during the birth. "This could be a great chance for Jennifer to show her capabilities as an actress," says one insider. "If anyone could pull it off, she can. She has the ability to be funny one moment and wistful the next. She's got the range.

It's clear to the Friends fans that there's been sadness underlying the whole pregnancy plot. Lonely Rachel is facing an uncertain future for her and her baby. The writers feel that Rachel's anguish is a perfect setup for the very poignant ending.

"The idea is Rachel will have her baby and the while cast will be on hand at the hospital to lend their support," reveals the insider. "Rachel will have last-minute problems and something will go wrong. "Dying Rachel will tell Ross, the baby's father, that their closest friends, Monica and Chandler, should take the baby and raise it as their own." In this scenario, Rachel's heartbreaking departure would come halfway through a special one-hour episode, but the sitcom would not end on a down note.

Monica and Chandler will reveal that they've been having problems conceiving and will feel blessed to raise Rachel's child. They even name the baby after her as a loving tribute, the insider reveals.

Heartbroken Ross agrees to arrangement because he knows they can give the baby a more stable life. He already has a son with his ex-wife, who is raising the boy with her lesbian lover.

However, he promises to always be a big part of his daughter's life. "The story line appeals to Jennifer," the insider says. "She's ready to say good-bye to the series that made her a star. She's had enough." But that doesn't mean she will be off the air for good. Thanks to the magic of TV, Aniston could do guest spots next season if her character is featured in flashbacks or dream sequences.

Sources say the six friends have always formed a "united front" in salary negotiations, but if Aniston doesn't return, the value of her five co-stars will rapidly decrease.

Right now, each of the six stars get $750,000 an episode. Insiders say that it would take at least $1 million an episode for them to stay. "Jennifer hasn't given notice to the producers that she's not coming back," her publicist, Steven Huvane, tells Star. We don't know if the show is coming back. She's not privy to anything the writers plan.

A show spokesperson adds: "No one knows if this the last season of the show, therefore no one knows how the show will end.

But one thing is clear, the source insists: Aniston will be the first one to make an exit from Friends. Says the insider: "Jennifer doesn't need to stay on the show. She's Brad Pitt's wife. She's ready to move on to other projects-like having a baby- and put Rachel way behind her."
- Jennifer Pearson

The TWO other endings- EVEN though insiders say Rachel's days on Friends are numbered, there is a chance that the show could end with her marriage instead of her death. In addition to the shocking storyline that would have Jennifer Aniston's character dying in childbirth, the show's writers are working on TWO other possible season enders.

One would have Rachel and Matt LeBlanc's character Joey tying the knot. "They've been sharing an apartment and flirting all season," says a source. "They could get together in the end. It's definitely a more uplifting ending.

"A third scenario being discussed is having Ross and Rachel reunite and get married for the sake of their child" Don't get your hopes up, though, adds the insider. While most fans would prefer a happy ending, the writers and Aniston are pushing for a weepy one. JA