Fallen Star

Star Jones Reynolds is finished being a morning person. The polarizing diva dramatically departed ABC's The View on June 27, but only recently have details emerged about the behind-the-scenes scuffle.

Speculation had been that new cohost Rosie O'Donnell pushed for Jones Reynolds' termination. But Barbara Walters told Viewers that ABC informed Jones Reynolds months ago that her contract wouldn't be renewed. (Jones Reynolds wouldn't comment, while O'Donnell was uncharacteristically mum on her Rosie.com blog as EW went to press.) The reason: According to Brian Frons, president of ABC Daytime, Jones Reynolds' popularity had sunk since her 2004 freebie-rific wedding. During the next year and a half, ABC warned her to straighten up as The View's ratings declined. Says Frons: ''I've had conversations with Star, her manager, and her agent about things she could do to help her image with viewers. This is not a big surprise that Star had issues with her viewers and that ABC had issues with renewing Star.''

Eventually, the parties agreed that Jones Reynolds would announce her departure on the June 29 show, but she surprised The View's staff by jumping the gun two days. Adding fuel to her firing: a People.com story published that same day in which she was critical of ABC. Furious, the network decided to oust her immediately. ''She had plenty of warning,'' says an ABC source. ''Sadly, she continued along the same destructive path.'' In Payless shoes, no doubt.

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