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Is Barbara Walters Going Too Far to Sell Books?

Wed, 05/07/2008 - 12:26pm by PopSugar
4,134 Views - 85 comments

On yesterday's Oprah, Barbara Walters sat down to talk about her new tell-all book. She had plenty to say about her affair with the US Senator and keeping Star Jones' gastric bypass surgery a secret from the public. Star responded by saying,

“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."

Seems like Barbara doesn't really care about who she has to throw under the bus to promote her book, so tell us — is she going too far?


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85 Comments Add a Comment

  • Briandiesel's picture
    Briandiesel
    1

    I love that Star Jones of all people would be attacking Barbara Walters - haha. Cause Star Jones is so high class and above selling herself for money and fame. Whatever.

    I cant wait to read this book!

    16 weeks 23 hours ago Report Comment
  • duffy's picture
    duffy
    2

    Star Jones has a book out, too. And in that book, she didn't want to talk about gastric bypass surgery, did she? At least we can get the truth (the whole truth) from Barbara. And guess what, Star - Barbara's book will SELL better than yours did, too! Oh, snap!

    16 weeks 23 hours ago Report Comment
  • ktownpolarbear's picture
    ktownpolarbear
    3

    i think it's funny that star jones of all people is attacking her. please. while yeah, she could be a little more discreet, eh, it's not a big secret star jones!

    16 weeks 23 hours ago Report Comment
  • Briandiesel's picture
    Briandiesel
    5

    Update:

    When contacted about Star Jones' statement that Barbara Walters 'reduced herself' to sell books, Babs' rep responded:

    "I will not dignify this with a comment. Barbara's written words say it all!"

    16 weeks 23 hours ago Report Comment
  • Renees3's picture
    Renees3
    6

    i think some of it is a little out there, but come on, like ANYONE thought Star Jones lost weight from pilates and portion control? I don't think so

    16 weeks 23 hours ago Report Comment
  • JJ985's picture
    JJ985
    7

    We all new Star Jones had surgery... BW is getting older and has always been is the business of getting the truth out of other people. It was only fitting that she one day would spill the beans on all of her personal stories and secrets kept all these years. She is Barbra Walters she can do what she wants.

    16 weeks 23 hours ago Report Comment
  • celeb_obsessed25's picture
    celeb_obsessed25
    8

    Possibly. I mean, the whole affair, not sure why she is talking about that since it is a personal matter but I'm glad she can admit that. I love the smack to Star Jones. Babs PAWNS you

    16 weeks 23 hours ago Report Comment
  • mayeb63's picture
    mayeb63
    9

    Honestly, I don't care to pay money to read anything about Star Jones....I especially don't care how she lost her weight. Surely after the career Barbara has had, she can find more exciting things to write about than Star Jones and an affair she had with a married man 30 years ago.

    16 weeks 23 hours ago Report Comment
  • Courtney82's picture
    Courtney82
    11

    i dont like either an i dont think you can say Babara is the whole truth, i highly doubt she is as nice as she makes herself seem.

    16 weeks 23 hours ago Report Comment
  • Alisha_Stiletto's picture
    Alisha_Stiletto
    12

    I hate Barbara Walters and Star Jones looks like a bobblehead doll.

    As if that beyotch lost weight with portion control and pilates. LOL

    Portion control absolutely - because she only has a portion of her stomach left.

    Lyin heffer.

    LOL

    16 weeks 23 hours ago Report Comment
  • Coffy's picture
    Coffy
    13

    what happened to being able to keep a secret? when a friendship ends, that doesn't mean it is now time to blab every detail you know about someone.

    16 weeks 23 hours ago Report Comment
  • fleurfairy's picture
    fleurfairy
    14

    I think the senator thing was inappropriate. She just revealed that to get attention.

    16 weeks 23 hours ago Report Comment
  • Idalia's picture
    Idalia
    15

    Barbara Walters seems desperate for attention. And she will use anyone for that purpose. I like The View better when she is not there.

    16 weeks 23 hours ago Report Comment
  • lickety split's picture
    lickety split
    17

    on a side note; a news reporter from san diego was in the audience the day babs was on oprah. during a commercial break oprah announced that she had also had an affair with a married man during that same time frame. someone in the audience yelled out "wh*res!" the reporter told the story on the local news the other day, lol.

    16 weeks 23 hours ago Report Comment
  • GeriAnne1932's picture
    GeriAnne1932
    18

    I think it's partly the media for pulling this all out of the book and making it "the" issue. The book looks thick so I would think there is more interesting things in there then that she slept with a black Senator....though, I do wonder if everyone in the media is reacting so strongly to these stories because they have put her on a pedestal and have looked up to her all of thier lives as somone to strive to be....and anyone who hears that his or her hero is flawed, is rather shocked and may dwell.

    I think she is an interesting person as it is, the fact that the affair is what is getting the attention does do a bit of an injustice to the point. I'll have to check it out from the library, she doesn't need any of the money that I don't have!

    16 weeks 23 hours ago Report Comment
  • hotstuff's picture
    hotstuff
    19

    Where is the choice for: Barbara is OLD and if she doesn't write her biography now then when the hell is she supposed to?

    16 weeks 23 hours ago Report Comment
  • Leilanic1's picture
    Leilanic1
    20

    i feel like barbara walters is trying to sell her books by bringing up these things that have happened in the past. that senator's family and the senator are victims since now it is placing them in a difficult life. its pretty self serving on her part. star jones is the queen of self serving behavior and really doesn't have a leg to stand on regarding barbara's book and what is in the book. puhlease. this whole thing is tacky and i'm a bit amazed that barbara wrote this book at this time.

    16 weeks 23 hours ago Report Comment
  • uacosj's picture
    uacosj
    21

    its her choice if she wants to talk about her affair. star jones is an idiot. she made barbara walters look bad from the beginning. Barbara should have the opportunity to defend herself.

    16 weeks 23 hours ago Report Comment
  • Martini Rossi's picture
    Martini Rossi
    22

    whatevers, did Star Jones actually believed she was fooling anyone with that "proportion and pilates" story? what a fool!

    16 weeks 23 hours ago Report Comment
  • romes's picture
    romes
    24

    Barbara Walters didn't have to mention the affair. Obviously, this is for sales of the book. She said she warned the Senator but it seems like she wants to shock people and not seem like a goody two shoes. She admits she wasn't very nice to her mentally handicapped sister, etc. It seems like she lowered her standards to sell her book. Star Jones should have learned to be honest with the public.
    Everyone has the right for free speech but she used to have more integrity. I think that it's interesting that she went to Oprah and tonight there's an ABC Special yet she's only said a few words on The View. Also, today on a local talk show, a "celebrity" who was on the View this year said that Barbara was nice on camera but mean off camera.

    16 weeks 22 hours ago Report Comment
  • Jenny86's picture
    Jenny86
    25

    I respect Barbara, but she went too far with speaking about the affair. However, it's known and Star herself has admitted that she got gastric bypass, so it's not a biggie. Well, it looks like Barbara's book is #1 on Amazon.com.

    16 weeks 22 hours ago Report Comment
  • simplyfab87's picture
    simplyfab87
    26

    Its Barbara Walters, she know exactly what she's doing. If the info is already out there then why not talk about it

    16 weeks 22 hours ago Report Comment
  • Sun_Sun's picture
    Sun_Sun
    27

    i love how just because its barbara walters who had the affair its ok
    like i saw a section of the view where the other b*tches (hate that show) were asking her about her "dark dirty secret" and barbara snapped back that "its not dirty" and they were all like no no we just meant it as a secret

    what do u mean its not dirty?? u were the other woman in a married man's life. hell yea its dirty. and shes absolutely shameless to admit it.

    16 weeks 22 hours ago Report Comment
  • pinkprincess1101's picture
    pinkprincess1101
    28

    agreed sun-sun i personally hate cheaters thats why i despise her now even more and i dont even know the biatch, she has some nerve coming out talking sh*t about other people, i could careless about star i personally think she has a big ass head for that little body that she miraculously got from Pilate's yeah right, atleast when she was fat her head suited her, now she looks like an anorexic bobble head

    16 weeks 22 hours ago Report Comment
  • hotstuff's picture
    hotstuff
    29

    Sun_Sun, your right, she isn't ashamed of it AT ALL! Oprah even called her a mistress and Barbara just about had a heart attack. Oprah asked her if she regretted it and she didn't even regret the affair! She just regretted that he didn't get re-elected. Skank!

    16 weeks 22 hours ago Report Comment
  • kellyanne's picture
    kellyanne
    31

    I can't believe that I actually agree with Star Jones... what is the world coming to? Hotstuff, you are right on. A wh*re is a wh*re, no matter how much money or influence, and she acted like a wh*re when she slept with a married man. She's gross. And old. And I don't want to hear about gross old people sex. Blech.

    16 weeks 22 hours ago Report Comment
  • juju's picture
    juju
    32

    I have to say it is disappointing that she is using sensationalism to sell her book. She was on the radio today talking about her book, and mentioned her career in journalism and how her priorities started clashing with the trends of the news media. (She wanted to interview the president, but had to interview a tabloid headline-maker instead.)

    I think it is sad that instead of using her landmark career to sell books, she is using adultery and other people's surgery scandals to promote herself. She seems to have sunk to the low that she critized other for.

    16 weeks 22 hours ago Report Comment
  • karisaamy's picture
    karisaamy
    33

    Star is just looking for a way to get her name in the media again, I come on the only thing I've seen her do was a couple of epsoides of House Hunters on HGTV.

    As for Barb's affair she has always said that he had a lenghtly affair, she just never said with who. It's her Biography, when else is she going to talk about it. Leave it in a diary next to her death bed???

    16 weeks 22 hours ago Report Comment
  • Sporky's picture
    Sporky
    34

    Any respect I ever had for Baba Wawa is gone. Don't get me started on that lying turtle, Star.

    16 weeks 21 hours ago Report Comment
  • luciobenedeti's picture
    luciobenedeti
    35

    Barbara's memoirs should have been played out in real time, without secrets, during the course of her life; waiting til now makes me question the very reason she has written it from the get-go. The secrets are what will sell the book as it is with most celebrities involved in their autobiography. I think OPRAH's interview gave me what I needed in terms of curiosity.

    16 weeks 21 hours ago Report Comment
  • FLGAL23's picture
    FLGAL23
    36

    I had thought about reading the book but Barbara went into so much detail about the most "shocking" stories that now I feel like I don't have to! No one should have agreed to lie for Star Jones even if they were on The View with her. Star should have just admitted the gastric bypass from the beginning. It makes her look like even more of an idiot now that the truth is out!

    16 weeks 21 hours ago Report Comment
  • GlowingMoon's picture
    GlowingMoon
    37

    Star Jones has no credibility with me. In my eyes, she's made a spectacle of herself, too. She lacks character and integrity, and on top of that, she's disingenious.

    On the other hand, I find Barbara more acceptable. She's open and truthful. Sure, she may not have regretted the affair, but at least she's honest about it. To me, she proves that she's human -- she's not infallible. She has base thoughts and base actions, like all of us.

    16 weeks 20 hours ago Report Comment
  • MindayH's picture
    MindayH
    38

    Star Jones - it was a sad day when you lied and potentially made other obese people feel bad about getting gastric bypass because they wanted to do something for their health.

    As long as Barbara is telling the truth, I have no problems if she wants to disclose info about an affair. Big deal, it was in the 70's. Women rarely come out about affairs they way she did. It was kind of interesting.

    16 weeks 20 hours ago Report Comment
  • romaniagrl's picture
    romaniagrl
    39

    I find Barbara annoying. She has done some interesting interviews over the years, but she is kind of boring. And I don't like Star either. I think BW could have been more discreet about the affair, the man is still married to his wife, right? ANd they probably have children. I don't know the entire story but why tell the whole world?

    16 weeks 19 hours ago Report Comment
  • miss-britt's picture
    miss-britt
    40

    I just didn't like the fact she doesn't consider herself a mistress. Um... yeah you are. Be happy someone called you a mistress because i could think of other worst names to call ya for what you did.

    i don't mind that she wrote it, but i'm not going to buy it. What's the point all the juicy details are out.

    16 weeks 19 hours ago Report Comment
  • miss-britt's picture
    miss-britt
    41

    and the thought of barabra having any sort of romantic relationships makes me barf.

    That being said her daughter seems like a delight.

    16 weeks 19 hours ago Report Comment
  • Silverlining10's picture
    Silverlining10
    42

    I never liked her much, but this is shameless. Airing dirty laundry from the 70s?! And soo disrespectful of the former senator's privacy and family...Horrible. If they promised to keep it a secret then, she should have stuck with her word even thirty years later!

    16 weeks 19 hours ago Report Comment
  • hotstuff's picture
    hotstuff
    43

    Oy, I just wrote a whole long post about the Senator and his fam it didn't go through...I think so I'll do it again.

    No, he's not still married to the same woman he remarried. He never even lived with the wife, he only visited her on holidays. The wife knew he was having an affair but she liked being Mrs. Senator so and so, she never said anything. When he finally went to divorce the wife this is when she flipped out and made his life hell in the press so he lost his re-election. He and Barbara had the affair for 2 years.

    16 weeks 19 hours ago Report Comment
  • lolalu's picture