Uh oh, Oprah.
Not only does Oprah Winfrey have to contend with less-than-stellar ratings for her basic cable network OWN, but now the talk show titan is losing part of her Harpo Studios' star power.
According to FOX411.com, Jenny McCarthy has parted ways with Winfrey — which signed her to a development deal in 2009 — in favor of NBC. The site reports that after a difference of opinion over how to tackle McCarthy's new TV series, McCarthy took the project elsewhere to produce.
"Jenny wasn't thrilled with the direction that OWN producers were going with on the show," a source told FOX411.com of McCarthy, 38. "She had been working with Oprah and her producers for over a year, developing this project for OWN. Jenny finally decided to embrace Oprah's philosophy, which is to 'follow your bliss.' Well, Jenny followed her bliss and walked right off the project."
However, a rep for Winfrey's Harpo Studios — an entity separate from the Oprah Winfrey Network — told Us Weekly the studio and McCarthy mutually agreed to part ways and that the project was not in development at OWN as reported.
Losing McCarthy and her new series is no doubt a blow to Winfrey, who developed a friendship with the actress through her work as an advocate for children with autism. McCarthy even penned a blog for Oprah.com.
Indeed, the 57-year-old daytime titan has acknowledged the pressures her fledgling network has put upon her.
"Over the years I had complete control," Winfrey told TV execs in June. "It's a little harder making a judgment as to what other shows can do. Its about finding your particular flow and being able to connect to it."
By Allison Corneau for Us Weekly. For more Channel Surfing, click here.
