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*Cue the Brooke Valentine song, because a girlfight has broken out at “The View.”
In addition to today’s People magazine, fired co-host Star Jones Reynolds went to the New York Daily News as well as Ryan Seacrest’s morning radio show in Los Angeles Wednesday to drop bombs on Barbara Walters, her former boss and co-host at the ABC daytime show.
She also told her side of the story to CNN’s Larry King Thursday night (scroll down for transcript), and was scheduled to speak with Al Roker this morning on “The Today Show.”
Reynolds took offense to Walters’ statements in the press following the former lawyer’s announcement Tuesday that she would be leaving “The View” in July, and in interviews later that day in which Walters expressed feeling “betrayed” by Star’s announcement, which came earlier than expected.
"For Barbara to say she felt betrayed is the height of hypocrisy," Reynolds told the New York Daily News’ Jawn Murray. "If anyone should feel betrayed, it should be me.”
Reynolds told the Daily News and Ryan Seacrest Wednesday that she was hurt by Walters’ decision last April to hire her most outspoken critic, Rosie O’Donnell, whose main beef with Star is her refusal to confirm that her 150-pound weight loss was due in part to gastric bypass surgery.
"Rosie had attacked me on every single evening entertainment program," Reynolds, 44, told the Daily News. "Barbara used that week to call her and invite her to be part of a show that I helped launch nine years ago."
As previously reported, Reynolds was informed in April that her contract would not be renewed for a 10th season. Walters told the Associated Press Tuesday that producers made their decision based on Star’s poor approval ratings.
Reynolds told Seacrest that she “honestly understood it was a business decision” to let her go, but admits she was extremely hurt that the April 21st phone call informing her of her changed status did not come from Walters.
Expressing the same hurt to the Daily News, Reynolds said: "Barbara did not call me herself. After nine years, she didn't call me. They told me my contract would not be renewed because my approval rating had gone down. ... I was like, whoa!"
Star claimed producers had previously assured her that her job was safe when she challenged them about replacement rumors.
"I came to work every day. I held my head up. I operated in grace and dignity," she explained. "I knew since April but I still came to work."
In Star’s People magazine interview, she explains her reasons for making the announcement on Tuesday instead of waiting until the show wrapped in July, as Walters and ABC producers had encouraged her to do.
"I thought the audience deserved to have their Star tell them what the deal is,” she told People. “To now be accused of betrayal by someone I looked at as a mentor, when I was finally speaking up for myself instead of letting the executives and tabloids speak for me, is disheartening.”
After Reynolds’ surprise announcement, ABC execs called her agent to request that she not return to the set on Wednesday; her face was deleted from the opening video montage and Walters began the show with the phrase, “And then there were three.”
Walters further explained to the audience Wednesday: “It is becoming uncomfortable for us to pretend that everything is the same at this table. And therefore, regrettably, Star will no longer be on this program, except for some shows that have been pre-recorded [including today’s episode featuring the cast of “The Devil Wears Prada.”].
Star says she hasn't spoken to Walters since Tuesday's show. She was replaced Thursday by African American actress Renee Elise Goldsberry from "One Life to Live." While rumors suggest South Carolina talk radio host Bo Griffin is being considered as a permanent replacement, sources tell EUR that Sheryl Lee Ralph is also being pursued to fill the slot full time.
Griffin, ironically, used to work with ex-“View” co-host Debbie Matenopoulos on the cancelled syndicated version of Fox’s "Good Day Live." According to TMZ.com, Matenopoulos went on Fox’s long-running Los Angeles version “Good Day L.A.” Thursday morning and had some choice words for her former co-worker, whom she became close to during their run together on the show. Matenopoulos said when ABC cut her loose, so did Reynolds.
"The thing that was most hurtful to me was that I thought that [she] was my friend, and then [she] was nowhere to be found," Matenopoulos said.
Meanwhile, a source at "The View" tells the Daily News that the staff is glad to see Reynolds go, adding: "Star has very effectively alienated everybody on the show."
And of course Star wasn't through. As we mentioned at the top, last night she had more to say on "Larry King Live." Here are some highlights:
On Gastric Bypass
KING: You're saying you always said there was [weight loss] surgery?
REYNOLDS: I've always said that there was a medical -- I mean look at me for goodness sake. I've been...
KING: So where was the impression given that you did this on a diet?
REYNOLDS: I have no idea why anybody would suggest that that's the statement that I've made. I actually have always said it was a medical intervention always.
KING: That means surgery right?
REYNOLDS: What else could it mean?
On Being Hurt
KING: Are you very hurt?
REYNOLDS: Gosh you ask the tough question. [Insert blather]
KING: So, sure you're hurt.
REYNOLDS: Of course.
On Being Fired
KING: Are you saying now that you were fired?
REYNOLDS: My contract was not renewed.
KING: That's fired right?
REYNOLDS: Well the statement is the truth. My contract was not renewed and I was told for the first time in April and for two months I came to work every day.
For MORE of the transcript, go HERE.