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PrintStar Jones lashes out at Barbara Walters about memoir
Wed May 7, 2008 9:07 PM EDT
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NEW YORK — Nearly two years after Star Jones left "The View" on rocky terms, the 46-year-old TV personality has criticized former boss Barbara Walters for writing about her.
In Walters' new memoir, "Audition," she discusses how Jones wouldn't acknowledge her gastric bypass surgery on the air. She also writes about Jones' lavish wedding, which wound up alienating viewers as Jones accepted gifts in return for promotion.
"It is a sad day when an icon like Barbara Walters, in the sunset of her life, is reduced to publicly branding herself as an adulterer, humiliating an innocent family with accounts of her illicit affair and speaking negatively against me all for the sake of selling a book. It speaks to her true character," Jones told Us Weekly magazine.
Jones' publicist, Brad Zeifman, said Jones wouldn't comment further.
Walters reveals in the book that she had a past affair with married U.S. Sen. Edward Brooke that lasted several years in the 1970s.
The details about Jones are less juicy, but shed light on what happened behind the scenes on "The View" when Jones refused to publicly acknowledge the gastric bypass surgery she had in 2003.
Walters says Jones, who'd dropped 160 pounds in three years, changed her mind after telling Walters she'd talk about the procedure on the program. Walters says she didn't want to be the "poster child" for the procedure.
"I understood that, but it put us all in a terrible position," Walters writes. "It meant we virtually had to lie for Star, especially when she said again and again on the air that her weight loss was due primarily to portion control and Pilates. ... Joy (Behar), in particular, resented having to go along with the lie that implied that all one needed to do was sit-ups and ingest one cookie instead of two."
Jones confirmed her surgery last year in a first-person essay in Glamour magazine. She said she "was scared of what people might think," and "ashamed at not being able to get (herself) under control without this procedure."
In March, Jones quietly filed for divorce from banker Al Reynolds. The couple married in November 2004.
© 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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 | Walters: Jones going through 'difficult time' | Associated Press | Fri May 9 | 2 |
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{"commentId":1777490,"authorDomain":"wharrison55"}
Uggh!!
{"commentId":1777490,"threadId":"261297","contentId":"1475209","authorDomain":"wharrison55"}
#1 - Wed May 7, 2008 9:41 PM EDT{"commentId":1777603,"authorDomain":"backroadsbubba"}
What is wrong with these fussbudgets? Isn't being rich and famous enough?
{"commentId":1777603,"threadId":"261297","contentId":"1475209","authorDomain":"backroadsbubba"}
#2 - Wed May 7, 2008 10:21 PM EDT{"commentId":1778059,"authorDomain":"abbybunky"}
Well, I like Barbara Walters and good for her for telling the truth. Too bad Stare got caught in her own lie. They all on the View had to keep it a secret for Star because that's what "Star" wanted. You can't tell me that everyone didn't know the truth when now a days gastric bypass surgery is so common.
And that elaborate wedding that we all got sick of hearing about and having sponsors pay for her wedding paying for the wedding at the Plaza, her morning breakfast, flowers, etc. Whatever. Give me a break!
Oh, now I remember when she had her other surgery the breast job she went public right from the hospital. It was great when Joy made the statement, "enough about boobs".
All that money for a wedding that went downhill. And so has STAR
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#3 - Thu May 8, 2008 2:21 AM EDT{"commentId":1778144,"authorDomain":"markandbernie"}
I totally, totally agree with Star Jones. Until this week I have always found Barbara Walters to be a class act and a true lady. Not anymore in my eyes. She did not show any remorse or shame for committing adultery with a married man. She did not appear to me to show concern for the wife or family of her lover either. I also never realized until yesterday when I watched Oprah how needy and insecure Barbara Walters comes across as. Today on The View it was painful to sit through the show as the co-hosts paid homage to her. Is it just me, or does anyone else find this objectionable. Why is that when women have affairs with married men they do not consider it adultery or being a mistress? I also do not believe Barbara Walters should have made it public regarding the reasons why Star Jones and Rosie left the show. That is no way to treat your former staff. Shame on B.W. it amazes me what some people will do for money and to be the center of attention and the sad part is, she does not need the money and she has tarnished her image. Well said Star Jones, now her comments were the epitome of class
{"commentId":1778144,"threadId":"261297","contentId":"1475209","authorDomain":"markandbernie"}
#4 - Thu May 8, 2008 4:30 AM EDT{"commentId":1778545,"authorDomain":"caroaber"}
I don't think Star Jones' comments were "the epitome of class," far from it. "In the sunset of her life" sounds pretty catty to me. Walters may well be around for another decade or more. But as a journalist and a creator of "The View," Barbara Walters never should have gone along with the ruse that Jones lost the weight on her own. Those were poor ethics. How could she have felt pressured when it was her show?
I do agree that adultery is a bad thing and that people got hurt. Rosie O'Donnell had a better take on Walters' book. She refused to get dragged into another maelstrom.
{"commentId":1778545,"threadId":"261297","contentId":"1475209","authorDomain":"caroaber"}
#5 - Thu May 8, 2008 9:04 AM EDT{"commentId":1778751,"authorDomain":"pennx41"}
all i have to say is sometimes the truth hurts.way to go barbara
{"commentId":1778751,"threadId":"261297","contentId":"1475209","authorDomain":"pennx41"}
#6 - Thu May 8, 2008 10:01 AM EDT{"commentId":1781392,"authorDomain":"wharrison55"}
Who's Star Jones?
{"commentId":1781392,"threadId":"261297","contentId":"1475209","authorDomain":"wharrison55"}
#7 - Thu May 8, 2008 10:47 PM EDT{"commentId":1782096,"authorDomain":"kris-colleen"}
Star who?
{"commentId":1782096,"threadId":"261297","contentId":"1475209","authorDomain":"kris-colleen"}
#8 - Fri May 9, 2008 8:19 AM EDT{"canLink":false,"threadId":"261297","isPrivate":false}
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