The View Axes Star Jones

Was it her weight? Was it her wedding? Whatever it was, Star Jones Reynolds got the heave-ho on the daytime series

Poor Star Jones Reynolds. After nine years on The View, she was unceremoniously dumped from the chick gab-fest. Overall the whole deal was kinda icy and mostly shocking. But that's what happens when you're talking about big bucks and big egos.

It all unfurled Tuesday after Reynolds read details of her exit in a New York tabloid and decided it was time to "reclaim my life." Knowing that her contract was not going to be renewed she took things into her own hands. She shocked her co-hosts, viewers, and execs and revealed her departure on-air two days early.

Here's where it gets really weird. Co-host Barbara Walters, the show's creator and co-executive producer, said on Wednesday's show that "we hoped she would announce it on the program and leave with dignity. But Star made another choice." Meanwhile, Reynolds has been telling People she feels like she's been fired.

Walters told AP that Reynolds has known since last year that her contract would not be renewed because viewer research showed they were turned off by her wedding to Al Reynolds in 2004 and her weight loss. Reynolds responds that the wedding-planning episodes had been popular.

USA Today reported that Reynolds has been criticized for not explaining her dramatic weight loss. She told the paper it was a mistake and she should have been more humble. She should have "allowed the viewers to go on the journey with me as I started to get healthy. I would have said, 'Be patient with me.'" But she still won't discuss how she lost the weight. Stomach stapling, anyone?

But mine is not to judge. Whatever turned viewers off, the sad thing is that people of colour have vanished from daytime shows, except on BET.