People: This Star quickly flamed out
Star Jones Reynolds made her departure from “The View” a bit earlier than expected.
On Tuesday morning, Jones Reynolds abruptly announced on the air she was leaving the daytime talk show next month, separately telling People magazine she had been fired.
By Tuesday afternoon, “View” creator Barbara Walters was saying she felt “betrayed” by the unexpected announcement.
And Wednesday, Jones Reynolds suddenly vanished from the show’s set and credits.
“I love Star, and I was trying to do everything I possibly could – up until this morning when I was betrayed – to protect her,” Walters said Tuesday.
“We gave her time to look for another job and hoped that she would announce it on this program and leave with dignity,” she said. “But Star made another choice.”
Walters said research showed audience members were turned off by Jones Reynolds’ dramatic weight loss and glitzy wedding to banker Al Reynolds in 2004.
Will the grass be greener?
Charles Gibson made a more dignified departure from ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Wednesday, surrounded by his family and with Kermit the Frog perched on his shoulder.
“For 19 years my mornings have not just been good. They’ve been great,” said Gibson, who’s leaving to focus on his new duties as anchor of the network’s “World News Tonight.”
Kermit, by the way, was a repeat guest from Gibson’s previous farewell show, preceding a brief departure from “GMA” in 1998.
Burberry regathers Moss
Kate Moss, meanwhile, has made a triumphant return to Burberry.
The British fashion house scrapped a campaign featuring the supermodel last year following tabloid accusations of drug use.
Moss, who later went through rehab, appears in a white lace trench coat at the center of Burberry’s main autumn-winter 2006-2007 ad, one in a series launched this week to celebrate the company’s 150th anniversary.
Patty marry Jane
Almost lost in last weekend’s wedding frenzy (Nicole Kidman-Keith Urban, Marcia Cross, Hugh O’Brian et al) was the news that “Medium” star Patricia Arquette and actor Thomas Jane got hitched in Italy.
Engaged since 2002, the couple have a 3-year-old daughter. Arquette, formerly married to Nicolas Cage, also has a 17-year-old son from an earlier relationship.
Dog-gone shame
Finally, we bid a fond farewell to Eddie of “Frasier” fame.
The 16-year-old Jack Russell terrier, whose real name was Moose, passed away of old age last week at the home of a Los Angeles trainer.
Moose, who also played the older dog Skip in the 2000 film “My Dog Skip,” was retired in recent years.
The birthday bunch
Actor Gary Busey is 62. Comedian Richard Lewis is 59. Actor/congressman Fred Grandy (“The Love Boat”) is 58. Actress Maria Conchita Alonso is 49. Singer Evelyn “Champagne” King is 46. Actress Sharon Lawrence is 45. Actress Amanda Donohoe is 44. Rapper DJ Shadow is 34. Singer Nicole Scherzinger (Pussycat Dolls) is 28.