Star Jones Returns to The View Six Years After Nasty Exit

Entertainment February 22, 2012 AT 12:38PM
Star Jones Returns to The View Six Years After Nasty Exit Credit: ABC/Ida Mae Astute

Star Jones returned to The View's couch Wednesday six years after her abrupt exit and sure had a few hot topics to get off her chest.

Taking part in two segments, Jones, 49, was welcomed with open arms by current cohosts Barbara Walters, Joy Behar, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Whoopi Goldberg and Sherri Shepherd. "I can say this genuinely: I am so happy to welcome back Star Jones!" Walters, 82, gushed to viewers when introducing her former colleague Wednesday.

PHOTOS: Bitter Hollywood feuds

After the women exchanged pleasantries, Jones detailed her motivations behind announcing her plans to leave The View in 2006 in a surprise segment instead of going ahead with the pre-planned reveal she and Walters had agreed upon.

PHOTOS: Unforgettable TV catfights

"I take full responsibility for my own behavior, but I won't take responsibility if I did not make a decision I couldn't live with," Jones said. "I made the decision to go out on my own terms, to control it, so that if I was ever invited back, I would feel good about it."

"To say we were surprised is putting it mildly," Walters reasoned, admitting to viewers that Jones' contract was simply not renewed.

During her Wednesday appearance -- which she also used to raise awareness of heart disease -- Jones thanked the View women for going to bat for her during her 2003 gastric bypass surgery.

VIDEO: Star Jones spars with NeNe Leakes on Celebrity Apprentice

Jones knew asking her colleagues to specifically withhold information about her surgery and instead tell viewers she shed the weight through diet and Pilates was a tall order, but one The View's Walters was happy to agree to.

"Because we loved you, we did lie," Walters told Jones.

Putting their differences aside, Behar was among the first to applaud Jones' 160 pound weight loss, regardless of the circumstances. "You're now a skinny bitch," she joked. "Congratulations!"

Tell Us What You Think

16
Comment by signing in with or creating your Facebook account by clicking below.
  • February 23, 2012 - 10:29am Dorothy Kennedy

    Elizabeth gets more annoying. She is narrow-minded and immature, and once in a while I sense Barbra gets very annoyed with her. Sherrie is sometimes just downright dumb. Star would be a good replacement for either.

  • February 23, 2012 - 9:19am Matthew Fleming

    Can you believe this? My cl?ssmate's mom mak?s $76/hr on the int?rnet. She h?s b?en out of a job for 8 months but l?st month her p?y was $8846 just working on the internet for a few hours. Go to this web site and read more... MakeCash17.cøm

  • February 23, 2012 - 7:58am Jane Toscano

    Joy needs glasses she's not skinny she's actually put weight on since the last time I saw her. Star has not changed she's still a very selfish person who only cares about herself and her material needs.

  • February 23, 2012 - 3:51am Anne Lisa

    Lying about this was wrong when the show is run by someone a 'journalist' who investigates the 'truth' on a daily basis and has for years. What mad this even more horrific is the number of people that have suffered at the hands of these surgeries -- lying about her weight loss makes light of the seriousness of the surgery itself. More emphasis needs to be placed on losing weight via diet and exercise as the 'lie' implied and less emphasis on jumping on the surgery bandwagon as a shortcut the way that Star did. I'd rather see NeNe on The View than Star anyday!!!

  • February 22, 2012 - 10:10pm Sacha Mason

    maybe I will start watching again...didnt agree with the Star craziness..Stars buzness was her bizness and should shuldnt have been ostracized because she chose not to broadcast it to the world,,but on second thought Elizabeth hassellbeck is still on The View so I guess I WON"T be watchng !!!!

  • February 22, 2012 - 9:33pm Alonzo Jenkins

    Star you look great ,people need understand, your life is not there life people look at the wrong things in life they focus need to be on God, because at the end of the day, you still will be Star jones.

  • February 22, 2012 - 6:08pm John Bohan

    "Because we love you we lied...".Barbara, take Regis's example and get some time for yourself.If that doesn't appeal to you; remember Andy Rooney died almost immediately after he stopped working at 116.

  • February 22, 2012 - 4:20pm Coco Loco

    "because we loved you we lied"?? give me a break ! good reporting is telling the truth ! oh and she still fat anyway so she lied for nothing !

  • February 22, 2012 - 3:12pm Ava Diamond

    I'm trilled about Star Jones return to The View. Star Jones was delightful, straight forward, humorous, and informative with the ladies. Despite Joy's catty mood, I appreciated the interview. Looking forward to Satan Sisters 2 and the TV series. Good luck STAR!

  • February 22, 2012 - 3:08pm Charlotte Web

    Bring back Star Jones to The View. She's much smarter than Shari. It will be fun to watch her but heads with Elisabeth Hasselback, who I can't stand btw.

  • February 22, 2012 - 2:30pm Dominique Holliday

    She does look great..btw

  • February 22, 2012 - 2:29pm Paris Shelton

    wish Star would return and they get rid of Sherri

  • February 22, 2012 - 1:35pm DeeDee Potter

    She's once more packing on the pounds, which is what happens about 5 years out of gastric bypass surgery.

  • February 22, 2012 - 1:31pm John Thomas

    she looks like somebody sucked the air out of her face.

  • February 22, 2012 - 1:07pm Mary Janis

    This was all about Star Jones selling another book. That was her only purpose for being on the view. Crazy, but I expected nothing more from the show. It is all about ratings.

  • February 22, 2012 - 12:52pm Cristina Hernandez

    Either talk about it or don't, but telling millions of viewers an outright lie that you lost weight by dieting instead of telling them you had weight loss surgery, is pathetic. Glad it's out in the open.

ADVERTISEMENT