With the release of her long-overdue, and much bally-hooed new memoir, 'Audition,' Barbara Walters has been thrust into the entertainment spotlight like never before.
Mostly because of some of the details in the gargantuan-sized read, which was published by Knopf on May 6.
One juicy morsel that has gotten America into a tizzy: the veteran news journalist's revelation that she had a lurid affair with a married man – a married Black man (former U.S. Senator Edward Brooke).
Star Jones, who infamously exited her long-running stint on 'The View' (which Walters created, produces and co-hosts), threw her two-cents in the mix last week, criticizing the former '20/20' host for using scandal to sell books.
"It is a sad day when an icon like Barbara Walters, in the sunset of her life, is reduced to publicly branding herself as an adulterer, humiliating an innocent family with accounts of her illicit affair and speaking negatively against me all for the sake of selling a book," Jones told a tabloid.. "It speaks to her true character."
Walters, however, has taken somewhat of the high road wit her response to Jones, who it was recently revealed is divorcing Al Scales Reynolds after four years of marriage."Star is going through a very difficult time right now, and I'm going to have very happy memories of how wonderful she was on the program," the twice-divorced Walters told 'AP Radio' on May 9. "I don't want to add to her difficulties."
Elsewhere in 'Audition,' Walters talks about how the women of 'The View' were forced to cover up Jones' gastric bypass surgery as she swiftly lost weight ahead of her wedding.
Unbelievable to many, Jones maintained at the time that she was eating less and doing Pilates.
"We lied for Star," Walters said in the interview. "She was our colleague. She didn't want to discuss it, we didn't force her to. Was that a mistake? I don't know. ... It was Star's decision."
And regarding that affair, she added: "I put it in to show in great part how race relations have changed. This was 30 years ago, it was an African-American prominent man. And it would've destroyed his career, and mine. Today it would have almost no impact."
1. I'm 53 years old born and raised in the South. I grew up in a house hold where values, morals, and virtue was taught. Respect, love for others and most of all the love of Jesus. As I became an adult and began to live my life continuing to live the way my parents taught me. Even when I did enter the world of sin, I had girlfriends and still do that we could talk about out lives privately go to God and confess our sins and ask God to forgive us.
In todays society the adults talk about how "RAP and VIDEOS" is causing our young people to go astray and are the influence on their lives. Well, I think we need to revamp that thought, I hear Bill Cosby want to help the young people after he made such slanderous remarks; Oprah Winfrey when she open the school in Africa a reporter asked her while didnt she open one in America, her response, "Children in America dont want an education, they want ipods and tennis shoes." Yet, the adults are suppose to be role models for young people.
The Oprah Winfrey show is just as bad as Jerry Springer. How can we tell young girls, and women to remain absence or stay a virgin and become a virturous women. The bible tell us to confess our sins one to another, or go to God and ask for forgiveness. Not air your dirty laundry on national T.V.
I was shocked at Oprah Winfrey. I facilitate a girl group and we discuss this Barbara Walters adulterous act. She sat on T.V. proudly bragging about an affair that happen years ago and that she enter into willingly knowing the man was maried. It seems as if she was happy to destroy this mans family, or try too. As if she held on to this affair to do harm to others. After all these years go to one of her best friends talk about, ask God to forgive her and move on. Thats to much like right, instead she want to make money off of her sinful life. We live in a sick and sinful society and if we (Christian) dont be careful we will get suckered into these people worlds, (sinful world). Oprah, Barbara, Bill Cosby, the reports, etc. have money but somethings is missing in their lives because it takes sin to make them happy. These people truly need to seek Jesus. As far as Star Jones, Barbara I am glad that she didnt buy into allowing the audience to control her life. The audience are human and anyone that is sitting in your audience without sin let them cast the first stone. Money-what does it prosper Oprah, Barbara and anyone else to gain the world with your sinful ways and loose your souls. Barbara go to God and confess your sins, stop exploiting other people to make money for your own selfish needs.
How can anyone point a finger at the rappers and videos when you are having sex with someone else husband and bragging about it. Barbara you are to old to be seeking attention give your life to chirst.
The bible tells us when a man findth a wife he findth a good thing. Not when you make a conscience choice to sleep with someone else husband hope that he would leave his wife to marry you and after he made a sound judgment to stay with his wife, then you get revenge by writing a book and going on national T.V. to tell in length details about an adulterous affair you had 20 years ago. Barbara this affair could not have been haunting you because if it was you would have found a Priest or your minister to confess and move on. Oh but no, instead you publicize it to make money and to try and destroy a family. You are sick. Oprah I am very disappointed with you how you allow Barbara to use your show to air out her dirty laundry; all money isn't good money. Oprah it is true misery loves company because you are shacking I assume its o.k. for Barbara to sleep with a married man.
One thing people in general should realize is that birds fly high, but when they get ready to eat and drink, that have to come down to earth.
Birds of a feather flock together. Barbara and Oprah.
jane at 9:49AM on May 12th 2008