Who are your mentors?
I don't want to violate their privacy because they were 100 percent candid with me, but every name is one that you would recognize. Let me first tell you the things that my mentors gave me as advice: ''Step away.'' And that was pretty much universal. ''This is a great time for you to figure out your next move without the glare of the spotlight on you constantly.'' That was probably the No. 1 most universal piece of advice. And I wanted to, so it was not hard to follow.
The second thing was: ''Get back to your roots. Why did you get in television from the beginning?'' And that is a very honest look at yourself in the mirror when it's just you. Did you really get into TV because you wanted to speak to issues for the community? Or did you really get into it because you like the lights and camera? And I honestly can say I really wanted to speak to issues.
[Besides my mentors,] some of my girlfriends really and truly stepped up to the plate. I may give you one person who I just really want to acknowledge publicly. If there's anybody—if there's a war and you gotta have somebody next to you in the tank, bring Vivica Fox, straight up! On the real! Just bring Vivica Fox.
Really?
Because from everything from losing weight to changing my style to getting fired from The View to who should replace me, she has stood side-by-side, shoulder-to-shoulder — ''I got your back.'' I mean, who can forget her basically cussing Jimmy Kimmel out on national television [ laughs] on my behalf? You know, walking down the red carpet at the BET Awards and when someone asked her [about me, she said], ''I'm her girl.'' That is a true, dear friend. And you rarely get to thank somebody publicly like that.
Did you hear from Oprah at all during that time?
All the time! She was very consistent. But that's the best part — I don't have to bother Oprah unless I need to bother Oprah, but she gave me probably one of the biggest pieces of advice: She said, ''Stand in the space that God has created for you. You said you want this — embrace it.'' And I thought to myself, she's exactly right.
Speaking of Oprah — she's someone whose personal life and relationship has been heavily scrutinized in the media, as has yours. So when you say that you made a conscious decision to step away from the spotlight and tone things down, did you and [husband] Al [Reynolds] make a conscious decision to do that as a couple — lower your profile — as well?
Well, there was never any reason for Al to tone anything down. Al was a businessman and still is. He has his own life and career. He was swallowed up in that which was mine. And that's one of the reasons why we have completely separated it out. You know, the show is called Star Jones, not Star Jones Reynolds. Star Jones Reynolds is Sister Reynolds, who goes to the Christian Cultural Center.
In Brooklyn?
Yes, absolutely, with the great reverend pastor A.R. Bernard. She goes to the grocery store and makes dinner for her husband and spent time yesterday getting the [guest] room ready because my mother-in-law's coming to town—that's Mrs. Reynolds. Star Jones is the brand, the personality, the professional that my audience has come to know.
Let's talk about the article you wrote for the new issue of Glamour. Why did you choose to open up about your gastric bypass surgery in Glamour rather than in your book or even on your new show?
You know what? I will tell you. If I could've emotionally been stable enough to do it for the book, it would've obviously been the most brilliant part. Brad [Zeifman], who has been my publicist for a long time, encouraged it. My husband encouraged it. My lawyers encouraged. Everybody who is a professional that worked for me did, so they should have nothing to feel guilty about because they did their jobs. It wasn't like it was a bunch of yes people. But I was emotionally crippled and not able to hear what people were saying.
But in the long run, my health was more important to me. And it's not just my physical health, it's my mental health. And so I really and truly wasn't ready. I found it very difficult to accept why I needed this surgery. I found it very difficult to forgive myself for not being in control. I am a control freak. I need to know every aspect of what's going on and it took me years of therapy to really and truly let it go and realize that letting it go gives you control. Just let it go. But I couldn't do that at the time.
That was clearly—if I have one regret, and I've said this—I don't think I've said it publicly yet, but I've said it to friends—is that I wrote the book before...I wrote that section of the book before I was ready to fully deal with it. Every other aspect of the book, I love. I just love it with all my heart and soul. And I appreciated the fact that my fans still made it a best-seller.
Were you surprised by the vitriol directed your way when you didn't initially open up about your weight loss surgery? A lot of people attacked you about that — including Rosie O'Donnell on The View.
I was shocked in the beginning that people attacked me. But I was very public about other things and I think that the audience rightly said, ''But wait, you've told us all of this, why are you gonna leave this out?!'' So I got that. [But] I truly resent anybody who perpetrates this lie that I walked around telling people that I lost weight by exercise and pilates. I never said that. So I wasn't angry that Rosie wanted to know, I was annoyed that she perpetuated something that was inaccurate. But it was really less about that as it related to Rosie, it was much more an attack on my family that was vicious and inappropriate. And I'm very protective of my family. You don't go after my family. So that doesn't work.
By the time the show airs, do you think people will be ready to focus on seeing you back on TV?
Well, I hope so! Needless to say, I'm not going to be the gastric bypass girl the rest of my career. That's not something I'm gonna do. I have no intention of being identified through a weight loss surgery, ever. If the media wants to do that, that's on them. But I have so many more things to talk about and a whole bunch more to do, and I'm being as honest as I can now.
