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Star Jones

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Anything else?
And I've been paying attention to some of the young girls in Hollywood, the Lindsays, the Britneys, the Parises and Nicoles. I think that at some point, you have to lay off and just let them grow up like other 20-year-olds. But by the same token, I would love to sit down with them to talk about how they were parented as children. If there came a time when they were the breadwinners. You know, when you were growing up in my family, my father had the best catchphrase. "If you don't pay the mortgage, you don't pay rent, you don't have any rights to do anything other than what I tell you to do." In these situations [they] pay the mortgage, the rent, and it's a major shift of power. The topics can be celebrity-driven, they can be news-driven, they can be community-driven, but they're all things that apply to our lives.

How do you want 'Star Jones' to be different from other daytime talk shows?
When you hear words come out of my mouth about an incident that occurred and involved a public person, it will be based on facts. And based on independent reporting, rather than just repeating gossip or innuendoes from other people.

Were you concerned at all that coming back to TV on a daily basis probably means the media will also be a lot more interested in your personal life again?
I definitely thought about that a lot. And then I did something I thought was necessary. I actually separated my life from how I make my living. Part of that is me wanting the show to be called 'Star Jones' and not 'Star Jones Reynolds.' Star Jones is the talk show host, the author, the journalist who asks the questions you want the answer to. Star Jones Reynolds is the wife, the daughter, the woman who goes to church in Brooklyn, who has a great weekend with her mother-in-law with a fish fry, like we did this past weekend. That person belongs only to friends and family. And I think when you separate it, you draw the line between what is private and what is public.

You recently wrote a Glamour magazine article about your weight loss. Is that a topic you might also discuss on your new show?
Well, I'm not afraid of the topic anymore, which is wonderful. That came from talking to other women who were faced with similar health crisis, and so I won't shy away from the topic. But remember, this show is not about me; it's all about the audience. And so, if anything in my life might prove workable to your life at home, then it'll be shared. But it's not something where, you know, every day you'll tune in to find out everything about Star. I think if there is anything that we've learned, it's that you've learned enough about Star.

One more thing. You were the only journalist to interview O.J. Simpson during his civil trial and you've talked about his case in the past. What's your take on his 'If I Did It' book and the fact that it's going to be published and released now?
I quite frankly do not know why the book was ever written, and it amazed me, that there was nobody who said 'This is not a good idea.' I understand the desire to make money, but there are some things that I really don't think should ever be parodied, and the murder of two people is among them. I definitely don't think O.J. should benefit from something like that, and the whole episode is unseemly to, but that's who I am. If anybody is going to reap benefits from (the book), it should be Mrs. Simpson's children and the family of Mr. Goldman.



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