Star Jones-Reynolds Kicked From The View

One day after announcing that she wouldn't return to The View in the fall, Star Jones-Reynolds was erased from the opening credits and shown the door, seemingly by Barbara Walters herself. The Queen of The View told audiences, as reported by Forbes, "It is becoming uncomfortable for us to pretend that everything is the same at this table. Therefore, regrettably, Star will no longer be on this program."

Everyone involved with The View knew that Star Jones-Reynolds was leaving the program, but it's the way she handled her departure that led to the abrupt exit. The Associated Press reported, as reprinted in The Chicago Tribune, "ABC had decided against renewing Reynolds' contract months ago and the show was planning to let Reynolds announce it later this week, according to Walters. Reynolds could say whatever she wanted to about why she was leaving, "and we would back her up," the longtime ABC newswoman said. Instead, Walters said she felt blindsided when Reynolds broke the news Tuesday, then was quoted in People magazine as saying she felt like she was fired."

Barbara Walters didn't think Star Jones-Reynolds was fired from The View. Well, at least not until this week. She said, as reported by The Chicago Tribune, "We gave her time to look for another job and hoped that she would announce it on this program and leave with dignity. But Star made another choice."

Barbara Walters had been relatively quiet about rumors surrounding Star Jones-Reynolds departure from The View, but now that the TV cat is out of the bag, so to speak, Walters was quoted in All Headline News as saying, "We tried to talk them (ABC executives) out of it and we tried to give Star time to redeem herself in the eyes of the audience, and the research kept getting worse. I love Star and I was trying to do everything I possibly could - up until this morning when I was betrayed - to protect her. I would have loved for Star to have left and not said 'I was fired,' and not make it look like the program was being cruel to her."

Apparently, ABC had been looking to cut Star Jones-Reynolds from The View for a while, as the host's constant discussion of her weight loss and her marriage to Al Reynolds had dropped her significantly in audience polls. Barbara Walters claims to have protected Star Jones-Reynolds for a while, as quoted by All Headline News, "I have always told the truth on the program, except in the case of Star ... I was trying to protect Star and her sensitivities. She has, after all, been on the program."

The next round of Star Jones-Reynolds versus Barbara/View/ABC comes on Thursday, when the former host is scheduled to appear on Larry King Live on CNN.

[Additional Sources: AP, Forbes, Chicago Tribune, All Headline News, People]