Star Jones Reynolds: Ousted?

By: Shannon Gossage

Reynolds made the announcement Tuesday morning on The View saying, "Something’s been on my heart for a little bit, and after much prayer and counsel I feel like this is the right time to tell you that the show is moving in another direction for its tenth season and I will not be returning as co-host next year." It has also been reported that Reynolds’ was told her contract would not be renewed only days before it was revealed that Rosie O’Donnell would be the newest addition to the panel. Said Reynolds, "What you don’t know is that my contract was not renewed for the tenth season. I feel like I was fired."

Reynolds’ contract was set to expire in September, which coincidentally is just when O’Donnell will be joining the cast. Also, set to expire were co-hosts Joy Behar and Elisabeth Hasselbeck contracts. Apparently their contracts were renewed while Reynolds’ was not. It has not been a secret that O’Donnell and Reynolds have very different views on topics and that O’Donnell has always been very vocal about Reynolds. O’Donnell has spoken out about Reynolds in the past, especially her refusal to comment on her extreme weight loss. Recently O’Donnell was asked about Reynolds and called her, "An interesting woman on many levels." She also went on to say, "I do not wish her any ill will, I just think it’s very hard for everyone to participate in, you know, the illusion that she presents as her truth."

O’Donnell was hired as co-host of The View shortly after Meredith Vieira, an original co-host, left the show in order to fill Katie Couric’s shoes on the Today show beginning in September. Once it was announced that O’Donnell was the newest addition to the show rumors began flying that it was a condition of her accepting the job that Reynolds be fired. A source reportedly said, "It was always Rosie’s condition to join the show, and Barbara agreed to those conditions from the outset." It has also been rumored that Walters has been trying to get rid of Reynolds for some time now. No official word yet on whom, if anyone, will replace Reynolds or what her future plans may be.