Killer comedian: KATHY GRIFFIN

Out and proud firecrotch

Beloved potty-mouthed redhead Kathy Griffin takes aim at Dallas-based glitterati: Dr. Phil, George Michael and the Bush twins. Griffin reveals she was dumped by ‘main gays’ over delusions about reality-TV fame

By Daniel A. Kusner


Who can remember the last time Kathy Griffin performed in Dallas? Yeah, it’s been a long time. Too long.

On Monday, the fiery tell-it-like-it-is comedian finally returns to North Texas. And while her “too mean” rants have gotten her banned from just about every talk show (“Regis & Kelly,” “Ellen DeGeneres,” “Conan O’Brien” and “David Letterman,” to name a few), we can’t wait to hear the spitfire bash celebrities for exhibiting outrageous behavior.

Earlier this week, Griffin spoke by phone from her palatial Hollywood manse. While some call her a red-carpet terrorist, the perennial D-Lister is a charmer and an ever-loyal friend to the gay community.

Recently, Griffin has been experiencing personal challenges. She’s getting a divorce. And her gay best friends (Tony and author Dennis Hensley) are strangely absent from the new season of Griffin’s reality show, “My Life on the D-List.”

The Bravo network recently started a new campaign to get Griffin off the D-List, where fans suggest heroic acts to elevate her celebrity status. The first proposal was for Griffin to “make a sex tape with Judi Dench.” That attempt was videotaped, and was recently posted on Bravo’s Web site.

This interview happened three days after Griffin attacked Ann Coulter on “The Today Show” — calling her a “nut bag” and pointing out that the conservative blowhard chose to wear a cocktail dress for a morning interview.



Have you been avoiding Dallas because you’re afraid of the ultimate Red State?

Griffin: Yes. No, I’m kidding.

Honey, I’ll be coming from Nashville. I’m no stranger to the Red States. In fact, I always do surprisingly well in the Red States, which means ticket sales are good. Actually, a lot of blue people come to my shows. But my gig will probably attract the Dallas gays and the Dallas liberals. And I expect some conservatives — but not exactly the “church crowd.”

Dr. Phil hails from Dallas.

Well, he’s going down. I don’t give a shit.

From what I’ve gathered, you believe Dr. Phil is a fascist.

I believe he’s not truly a lover of women — meaning: He’s a good ole boy who’s doing a show for women. But really, he’s not technically in women’s corners. On the couples’ shows, he’ll naturally gravitate to the guy’s side, and that drives me crazy. Also, I hate how he’s like, “I’m just an old jock.”

I’m, like, “You’re a fat guy who writes diet books.”

Did you know George Michael splits his time between Dallas and London?

Oh, that’s right. He lives there with “his Kenny.”

Wow, you actually know who Kenny Goss is.

Of course. Hey, I watch Oprah. That’s where I get all my news.

Is George Michael an A-lister?

George is a tough call. Of course, he’s an A-lister. But he’s behaved in a way … He’s one of those people who you’d expect to be in my act. But I feel like he’s owned it. His last statement about getting busted with drugs was like, “It’s my own stupidity again.”

It’s hard to make fun of somebody like that. The people I make fun of are the high and mighty celebrities who don’t admit that their behavior is ridiculous. Like Paltrow not admitting that she gave her kids those horrible names. That’s why she’s in the act and George Michael isn’t.

Isn’t it weird? George Michael gets busted, and almost immediately he releases a statement and takes full accountability. Dick Cheney shoots a guy, and doesn’t cop to it for almost a week.

I know. Dick Cheney has the guy with half of his face shot off apologizing from the hospital, blaming himself: “I shouldn’t have been standing there since I’m old and having a heart attack.”

Dallas’ favorite D-list princesses are the Bush twins.

All right, I want to know what the fuck is going on! How are they so under the radar? This is a conspiracy — like the Magic Bullet.

You know those fucked-up drunks are doing something: They must be pulling a train at Ashton Kutcher’s house.

How is it that they haven’t been in the news for so long? The one twin is super-puffy, so she’s got to be drinking. She’s all skinny, but her face is puffy. That’s Jenna, right — the one who looks like Tara Reid? She’s getting hammered somewhere, and someone’s keeping a lid on it. Where is she? At the freaking NORAD or something?

Speaking of the Bush family, did you watch Sandra Bernhard on “The View” this past Friday?

No, I didn’t. You know I’m banned from “The View,” right?

I was wondering, when Rosie enters and Star exits, will you be welcomed back?

Star isn’t officially exiting. We’re all assuming she is, but it’s not official. I’m actually doing Rosie’s cruise for gay guys with their kids.

I was calling it the lesbian cruise, but then the gay boys got upset and said, “We’re taking our kids, too.”

So I guess I should call it the Gay Family Cruise. It leaves on July 5, so I’ll be on a boat to Alaska with Rosie, and then I’m sure I’ll get an earful about the future of “The View.” I love Rosie.

Anyway, what happened with Sandra on “The View?”

Barbara Walters asked Sandra about her opinion of Laura Bush. Sandra said Laura was heavily medicated. Then Elisabeth Hasselbeck jumped in and attacked Sandra for using the word ‘honey.’ She told Sandra, “Don’t you call me honey, honey!” From there it was a daytime smackdown. You can watch the entire segment on YouTube.

As soon as I get off the phone, I’m racing to YouTube.

Did you know that until six years ago Mary Cheney’s parents were Dallasites?

What the fuck is Mary Cheney’s story? Did you read her recent 10 Questions in Time? You know what, Mary? You’re never going to get your father’s approval, so stop trying to seek it. The Time interview was basically Mary being a self-loathing lesbian. I was like, “Honey” — Don’t you call me honey! I was like, you’re out — just deal with it. Just be like Candy Gingrich and say, “Can you believe my dad?” That’s all you have to say.

I recently caught your spoofy “Sex with Judi Dench Video.” And Kathy, you’re a hot little hard-body now.

I lost 17 pounds because I had to — it was all for a fucking article for The Star. So basically, the press forced me to lose 17 pounds. And I’m not happy about it. But I’ve actually kept the weight off. That night-vision camera effect is very flattering. I can totally see why Paris Hilton did her sex tape that way. And also, I was wearing full- body makeup and heels and a crazy little sexy outfit. But I also thought I looked pretty hot.

I just checked eBay, and the “Help Kathy Griffin Get Off the D-List” wristbands are selling for $20 a pop.

You’re kidding. You can get them for free at the show. Bravo sends them to my gigs, and they just hand them out. Really, $20? I’ll have to get a bag of those and sell them myself. Even if I can sell them for $10, I’ll be happy.

One stunt to get off the D-list could be to take Ann Coulter shopping for a decent cocktail dress.

I’m not that anxious to get off the D-list.

You know, I’m on “The Today Show” — the only national talk show that will have me, I’m not kidding. So it’s like 7 a.m., and I’m getting my makeup done, and there’s Ann Coulter on her crazy tirade. I couldn’t have asked for a better lead-in. The whole pre-interview went right out the window. And I just wanted to talk about what a crazy fucking nut-bag Ann Coulter is. It was hilarious. And then the Queer Eye boys were on that day, too. And of course they didn’t see it — because, you know, the gays can’t get up that early. They’re putting on the bronzer.

I loved that that story took off. Although, let me just say it chaps my ass that Ann Coulter can go on “The Today Show” and say that shit and still get booked everywhere. Me? I’m banned from every show for making fun of Nicole Richie.

What about Kathy Griffin having a talk show?

I wouldn’t be able to get any guests — except my parents. So every day it would be my parents, and then maybe Mario Lopez and Coolio.

On your recent stand-up concert, “Strong Black Woman,” I was expecting you to put the “Clay Aiken is gay” newsflashes in perspective. It was your duty.

By the time that happened, the “American Idol” finale didn’t happen.

Wait, you taped that concert on Feb. 19. The “Clay is Gay” scandal broke Jan. 18.

Yeah, but Clay didn’t have the bangs yet. Now he’s got girl bangs.

Well, it’s officially Gay Pride Month. Can you put it in perspective now?

We should switch it from Gay Pride to Clay Pride and call it Clay Pride Month.


Speaking of gays, what happened to your “main gays” — Dennis Hensely and Tony?

They dumped me.

Honestly?

Yeah. It’s been a tough year. They just dumped me. I don’t want to speak for them because it’s not fair. It’s been devastating. I love those guys. And I’m just trying to accept that friendships aren’t always permanent — sometimes they’re transitional.

Is that the price of reality-TV fame?

In my opinion, it is.

I know you don’t talk much about the divorce. But does that go back to reality TV as well?

I don’t think so. I think the divorce was cooking with or without reality TV. It’s defiantly stressful, though, I’m not going to lie. Reality TV is weird. Some people who were on my dumb little realty show thought they were going to become stars. Or they felt like they should have a certain level of celebrity. The whole time I was like, “This is” — and the Bravo people love this because I say it right to their face — I’ll say, “Bravo isn’t even a real network. Lets keep our heads on, people. I’m not exactly in the ‘Lost’ timeslot on ABC.”

So, yeah. It has been interesting to see who kind of handles it and who flips out. “The D-List” is a grassroots little show. It’s only six episodes. The budget is super-low. Bravo’s idea of a giant promotional campaign is to do an e-mail blast. I’m like, “Everybody calm the fuck down!”

Honestly, that’s why I think my mom and dad are so funny because they don’t give a shit. They don’t think they’ll get a spin-off or that going to get rich and famous. They don’t even think they’re going to get recognized. They just come over, put their mikes on for an hour, and they go home and drink. Or they have a drink at my house. The point is they drink.

I have a red-carpet question for you.

Go ahead.

Are you a proud firecrotch?

Oh, yes. And when did firecrotch turn into a bad thing? My whole life has been, “Oh, baby, does the carpet match the drapes?” And I’ve always said, “Yes!”

Who the fuck is Bandon Davis with his crazy, sweaty, fat-coke body? In my book, running around saying that Lindsey Lohan is a firecrotch is a good thing.

I can see you owning it — like wearing a T-shirt that says …

Out and proud firecrotch!

A PORN STAR IS REBORN

Gay adult-video legend Tom Katt reclaims Christian faith  and retires from erotica. Re-emerging as David Papaleo, he identifies as straight but is sickened by right-wing Bible-thumpers who preach anti-gay hatred. Papaleo’s next stop — the pulpit

By DANIEL KUSNER 

In the mid 1990s, Tom Katt began regularly appearing in gay porn videos. The versatile bodybuilder made at least 15 sex flicks in his first two years. Handsome and talented, he started earning a lot of money. And for what it’s worth, Tom Katt became famous — in the world of erotica.

Over the years, steroids and growth hormones augmented his physique. Cocaine and pot made the good times seem happier, but the party train kept crashing. Inside, he felt something was missing. And in 2003, he walked away from the biz. Katt, who now goes by his birth name, David Papaleo, had found God.

In January 2006, Papaleo appeared on “The Gravedigger Show,” an Atlanta-based Christian TV program where he renounced the adult video world and said he was heterosexual.

On Internet discussion boards, fans of the porn legend posted messages: some were outraged, some felt duped and some encouraged his spiritual adventure.

Through a Christian bodybuilding website, I e-mailed Papaleo and requested an interview. Two weeks later, he called and said he wanted to discuss his newfound faith, his sexual identity and a spiritual message for gays and lesbians.

Mom, church and death

The first four years of Papaleo’s life were spent in suburban Atlanta where his parents raised three kids.
When he was 4, his parents divorced. For the next seven years, David lived in a rural area of Massachusetts with his mother and stepfather. Although he also lived with his brother and sister, only David and his mother attended a nearby Catholic church.
“But my mom was what you’d call very clinically depressed,” Papaleo, 36, says after finishing a shift as a personal trainer at a suburban Atlanta gym.
He faced death and grief at an early age: When Papaleo was 11, his stepfather killed his mother.
“A lot of people blame God when bad things happen. I was pissed off at everybody — everybody in my family for letting it happen. And I walked away from God. I didn’t want anything to do with him,” Papaleo remembers. “If he was going to let that happen, then I’m staying away from him. Of course, this was the judgment of an 11 year old.”

Growing up and getting big

Papaleo moved back to his dad’s home near Atlanta, and he carried around a lot of anger. Homework wasn’t high on his list of priorities, and he was a loner. In high school, Papaleo joined the wrestling team, but he couldn’t tap into the notion of “team spirit.”
At 16, he discovered bodybuilding, and results came quickly. Lifting weights allowed him to release pent-up emotions, and it was something he could do alone.
“I developed a strong distrust of being able to count on anybody. Bodybuilding was something I excelled at that was under my full control,” he remembers.
In 1986, he competed in the Teenage Mr. Atlanta contest and placed third. Papaleo was hooked. He graduated from high school in 1988 with the dream of becoming a professional bodybuilder. To make money, he unloaded trucks and worked as a personal trainer.

Porn = money

“I always dated girls,” Papaleo says, remembering his early adulthood. “But I didn’t play the field too well. If I dated someone, it would be for two or three years.”
Through a friend of a friend, he got his first offer to appear in an adult video — from Fox Studios, a gay erotica company that specialized in bodybuilders.
“When I realized I could make in one day what I’d make in three months. It was like, ‘Sure, where do I sign?’” he remembers.
Papaleo was 21 when he made his first film. And back then, he was competing in at least three bodybuilding competitions a year.
“That was the beauty of doing porn,” he says. “The movies and personal appearances at clubs enabled me to spend all my time just getting ready for competitions. And preparing for competitive bodybuilding takes up all your time.”
At 24, he won his first big regional title at the 1994 National Physique Committee Eastern Seaboard Bodybuilding Championships.
For a while, everything ran smoothly. Because he had a title under his belt, Papaleo could demand more money as a personal trainer — his porn rates increased as well.
His family eventually figured out that he was moonlighting in gay erotica. Papaleo even showed them a few magazine covers. But in 1996, the sale of adult videos became legal in Georgia. A video store opened up near one of the Atlanta-area gyms where he trained. In the store’s window hung a life-sized cut-out of Tom Katt promoting Falcon Studios’ “Total Corruption 2.”
“It didn’t make me cringe with embarrassment,” he says. “In fact, the porn stuff never seemed to faze my family or friends at all.”
But once his Tom Katt cover was blown, most of Papaleo’s personal training clients dropped him.

Steroids, boyfriends and the Bible

For his first 17 bodybuilding shows, Papaleo competed as a “clean” contestant. After winning the Eastern Seaboard title, he started hitting steroids.
“Ironically, all the years I competed taking steroids, I never won,” he says.
Only 5-foot 7-inches tall and at one time bulking up to 255 pounds, the steroids detracted from his aesthetic appeal. He was too big, too thick.
From 1997 to 2003, Papaleo would live in Los Angeles for a few years, then return to Georgia. After a couple of years, he’d move back to Hollywood.
Dating sex workers isn’t for everyone, and Papaleo’s sexual identity was murky at best.
“During the period of the movies, I had two boyfriends and a couple of girlfriends. I felt I had to stay away from women because, ‘hello,’ I was doing gay porn — no woman was going to have anything to do with me,” he says.
For a while, he identified as bisexual.
“But when I leaned more towards trying to date a guy, it just didn’t click. When you’re in a relationship with somebody, it can’t just be a physical thing. You have to have an emotional-spiritual connection or it’s not going to work. And I never really found that I could have that connection with another guy,” he says.
During this period, he said he wasted huge amounts of money and didn’t have much to show for it.
“I made a lot, and spent a lot. I thought I was having the time of my life. But I started partying with my money — constantly altering my mood with chemicals to convince myself I was having such a good time,” he says. “But deep down, I was miserable, and I knew it.”
When he was a kid, Papaleo crossed Jesus Christ off his list. So over the years, he investigated other faiths: Buddhism, Hinduism and Taoism. But in 2003, he found himself drawn back to Christianity.
“I didn’t hit rock bottom, and I didn’t turn to a particular church. I just started praying. I prayed and asked God for help,” he says. “I asked him to help me with what my life was becoming, and what my life should become. He truthfully helped me in my heart and showed me that what I was doing wasn’t correct.”
So he began studying on his own.
And get this.
“I remember being on a … [porn] set, and the guys all laughing at me because I was reading the Bible,” Papaleo says.

God, love and gays

He didn’t blow all his money. Moving back to Georgia in 2003, he focused on his spiritual awakening and realized that blaming God for his mother’s death was immature.
Papaleo seems genuinely passionate about studying the Bible. And he’s still not affiliated with a particular church.
“I’ve been very unimpressed with a lot of churches. Many of them don’t study or teach the Bible in the depth that it should be taught. A lot of churches pull one or two verses out of the air and make up their own interpretations of it instead of really studying the book itself,” he says.
The debates over morality and sexuality identity have fueled his research.
“What I found is that so many people — including myself at one time — believe those crazy so-called Christians who say, if you’re gay or bi, God doesn’t want you. That’s a big piece of crap,” he says. “They are misconstruing and give twisted interpretations of Biblical scriptures. I’ve extensively studied the scriptures they try to base that on, and it’s just not true.”
Papaleo has a boiled-down thesis regarding the “men not lying with other men” verses.
“If you look at it historically, culturally and you’re not pulling things out of context, the Bible says ‘don’t to go against what is natural.’ If you are naturally heterosexual and you’re having sex with men, well, first, you’re treating that guy unfairly,” he says. “But the Bible’s not saying heterosexual is natural as far as from nature’s point of view — it means going against what’s natural for yourself.”
As far as same-sex relationships and marriage, “They’re not wrong,” he continues. “The most important thing is to love God with all your heart. The second thing, is to love your fellow person that same way. I don’t know how loving someone of your own sex in that manner is considered wrong.”

So now you’re straight?

“Yes, I identify as heterosexual. There was a time I thought of myself as bisexual, and I never hide that fact,” Papaleo says.
A couple of years ago, after moving back to Georgia, he met a woman. On their second date, he told her about his history as Tom Katt. Although it seems like heavy news for a second date, she seemed to accept it.
“Being completely honest and transparent about things is an important part of the way I live now. I have to be completely up front about everything,” he says. And last month, the woman’s name became Mrs. Papaleo.

Yo, Reverend! 
Weren’t you a porn star?

Although Papaleo’s gone back to competitive bodybuilding, the main thrust in his life is studying the Bible. Last week, he and his wife relocated to Florida so he could enroll in a seminary. Does he hope to be Reverend Dave one day?
“I believe he’s pulling me toward the pulpit,” Papaleo says.
But what if he makes it to the pulpit and someone turns on a DVD player showing Tom Katt in all his former glory?
“If someone wants to draw attention to that, I’ll help them put the spotlight on it. I am not ashamed. If they’re going to judge me, I’ll tell them to read Matthew Chapter 7 a few times and get back to me,” he says. “God is the judge. For someone to judge me, that’s wrong.”
He might not be ashamed, but Papaleo doesn’t have anything positive to say about working in adult video.
“I don’t think that erotica or sexuality is a bad thing. I believe that sex is the strongest physical expression of love to another person. But porn is not an expression of love. It’s empty and cold,” he says.
“There’s nothing at all wrong with sex,” he continues. “God made sex, too. He gave us these things for a reason. When it’s not an expression of love, that’s when you’re demeaning it into something less than it was meant to be.”
Can sex be an expression of love at first sight?
“I don’t think so,” he laughs.

His message

As Tom Katt, he participated in many gay pride celebrations. And when you have a pride parade, you have Christian fundamentalists preaching against gays. And that might be the battlefield where he launches his crusade.
“So many people are shunned or feel like they’ve been pushed away from God — that God doesn’t want anything to do with them. I want to tell as many people I can that that is an absolute lie,” Papaleo says. “God loves everybody. He made you the way you are. All he wants is for you is to turn to him and to love him the same way he loves you. Don’t let anyone tell you you’re less than anything in God’s eyes.”

ON THE D.L. WITH STAR JONES: TV host-turned-relationship-advisor blows a fuse when questions arise regarding the ‘down low’ phenomenon and her husband’s sexual past

Star Jones writing a book about finding the ideal husband is like Anderson Cooper listing the best ways to score with hot chicks. Something just doesn’t sound right.
Star Jones added the last name Reynolds in 2004, exactly a year after she met Al Reynolds, a handsome Wall Street banker, eight years her junior. After a brief romance, Reynolds proposed to “The View” co-hostess during halftime at a Lakers game in February 2004. And that’s when the publicity machine kicked into gear.
Star and Al posed for countless couples portraits. They even launched a website that’s still up and running, StarandAl.com. But as the couple prepared for a lavish Manhattan wedding that rivaled the David Gest-Liza Minnelli nuptials, items about Al’s sexuality began appearing in gossip columns — all because Al once shared a house on Fire Island.
Then something weird happened.
Al hired publicist Cindi Berger and released a statement that said, “My fiancée and I have discussed all relevant parts of our personal histories. We are satisfied that we know everything we need to know about each other's pasts and are looking forward to our future together.”
The statement also requested that the media refrain from “destructive rumor, gossip or innuendo.”
Amid all the lawyerly jargon — “relevant parts” and “everything we need to know” — the statement had a “Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain” quality to it, which only intensified speculation.
In October 2004, “The View” taped two episodes in Dallas. And while Star was in Big D, the New York Daily News reported that Al attended an all-male Halloween party at an Italian restaurant dressed as a stripper in a white Speedo. The costume was apparently a holdover from his 2003 summer spent on Fire Island.
If things didn’t already appear somewhat peculiar, on the eve of the big November wedding, it was reported that Al threw a “Roman baths”-themed bachelor party.
Star grew up in the Miller Homes housing projects of Trenton N.J. And before her gig on “The View,” she attended law school at the University of Houston. Working for the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office, Star was a successful prosecutor. While covering the OJ Simpson trial for “Inside Edition,” she caught Barbara Walters’ eye.
When she’s not fawning over celebrities on “The View,” Star asks tough questions and raises excellent points — especially in the often-heated “Hot Topics” segments that open every episode of the talk show. And during those segments, “The View” hostesses have discussed the “down low” phenomenon — a weak label that’s been attributed to closeted African-American men involved in heterosexual relationships who have sex with other men on the side.
The concept of “down low” is especially scary when conclusions are drawn about HIV infection and the alarming rates of African-American women who test positive.
According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, HIV infection is the leading cause of death for African-American women ages 21-34. And the rate of AIDS diagnoses for African-American women is approximately 25 times the rate for white women, and four times the rate of Hispanic women.
Last month, Star released “Shine: A Physical, Emotional and Spiritual Journey to Finding Love” ($24.95, Collins). It’s supposed to trace her self-journey — how she lost 150 pounds in two years and how she “got the man.”
By avoiding being the poster girl for a particular weight-loss method, Star refuses to divulge how she slimmed down so miraculously fast. But when it comes to husband hunting, Star offers more than a few pointers.
She begins with the reproduction of a hand-written list: “The Ideal Man for Me!” Star created this list before she met Al, and she even showed it on-air on “The View.” Some prerequisite qualities for her husband-to-be included: Christian, college educated, no criminal background, Democrat and ready for marriage. Sexual history was noticeably absent from the list.

In “Shine,” Star also composed a seven-page test for readers to assess their own ideal man. Spirituality, physique, marital history, political affiliation, drug use and crime records are all fair criteria. But nowhere in her questionnaire does it assess having relationships with a bisexual or closeted man. So I thought I’d ask her about it.

In February 2006, Star called the Dallas Voice offices.

Star Jones Reynolds: This is Star Jones calling. How are you?

I’m doing fine. And you? I’m excellent. And any time I’m coming to Dallas, you know I’m excellent.

That’s right, you’re coming for a book signing. Everyone in Big D knows you’re our city’s biggest supporter on “The View.” I’ve been talking about it constantly, haven’t I? Everyone picks on me. They’re like … [in a pinched nasally voice] ‘We already know how much you love Dallas.’ I’m like, “Don’t hate the player, baby, hate the game.”
I love Dallas.

You said you and Al have seriously thought about settling down in Dallas in the future. Well, I can’t put that on my husband. I’ve told him that’s where I want to be. He knows I’m very serious about it. Think about it: Dallas has everything I want. It’s got great churches, great fashion and great food. Any place that has Pappasito’s is going to make me very happy. It’s got politics, culture, Saks Fifth Avenue. My girlfriends are there. And you’ve got a good basketball team, which means my life would be complete.

Your Dallas book signing coincides with Black History Month. And in February, issues that affect the African-American community become especially newsworthy. There’s one alarming statistic that particularly addresses African-American women, and that’s the rates of HIV/AIDS infections.
Definitely. You should know that I’ve been highly involved in the pandemic for many years. My first cousin died of AIDS — it’s now been 12 years. And I have been dedicated 100 percent, not just working at the foot of the legislation in theory, but with my own hands. I participate in an organization called God’s Love We Deliver, where we actually deliver meals to homebound AIDS and serious-illness patients. So that is definitely a part of my life and has been for many years.

Part of your book addresses your search for the perfect mate. Your book is like a useful guide — especially with all those self-assessment tests you created for readers. Recent statistics show that African-American women are testing positive for HIV at alarmingly higher rates compared to white women. In searching for the perfect mate, do you think women need to begin considering this phenomenon called “the down low?”
I have no idea what you’re talking about.

You’ve never heard of “the down low?” Wow, even Oprah has aired entire programs about it.
I know, but what does that have to do with me?

This goes back to the same themes your book addresses — women looking for the ideal mate. I was curious if you wanted to address these newsworthy statistics concerning African-American women and HIV infections. From a newsworthy perspective? Because I was like … I was so completely lost as to where you were going.
From a newsworthy perspective, it’s not in “Shine.” It was not one of the issues that we address, obviously. The book was really less about “the man you wanted” and more about the person you wanted to be in order to get the man. Do you see what I’m saying? It’s much more of a self-assessment rather than sort of addressing social issues.

Don’t you think “the down low” is an important topic in 2006 — especially for African-American women who are searching for love? But not in every book. You can’t address every issue. And that was not the issue I was addressing, obviously. Quite frankly, it was a journey I was taking to sort of better myself and to find out what it is I wanted in life. And I used it as a backdrop for other women. The book deals more with you identifying what’s going to make you happy and not a whole bunch of social issues. That might be another book, but it’s not this one.

Some folks are especially interested in your relationship with Al. During your whirlwind romance, he issued a carefully worded statement about both of your personal histories.
You know what, Daniel? I’m going be really honest with you. I’m trying really hard not to find offense in your questions, but I think you’re being really insulting to me and to my husband. And I think you’ll understand if I won’t allow that. I’m very protective of myself and my husband and our families and our friends. And I think it’s really not good journalism, and more importantly not fair for you to insinuate or in any way insult my marriage. It’s not fair.

What’s so insulting about asking about Al’s press release? You’ll understand, Daniel, that I’m going to end this interview unless you’d like to talk about something else. This is not something I’m interested in discussing with you.

Right now this is probably the most glaringly obvious issue I can think of. Well, it’s not glaringly obvious to me. And quite frankly, Daniel … Thank you, I appreciate your time. [And Star hung up].

•••

Immediately after our brief conversation, two of Reynolds’ publicists called to ask about my line of questioning.
They accused me of being a malicious gossipmonger.
I explained that this was an opportunity for Star to discuss a serious issue facing the African-American community.
And isn’t it strange that a confident woman who takes pride that she came from a low-income background — that she made it all the way to senior assistant district attorney in New York and who she calls herself “The Mouth from The South” is too sensitive to field questions about the “down low” phenomenon?
While she encourages other single women to create their own The Ideal Man for Me lists, is it so unfair to ask if Star Jones had to address the “down low” topic herself?

STAR IN DALLAS

While on ‘The View,” Star Jones Reynolds often sings the praises of Big D. On Friday, she stops in North Texas for a book signing at Grapevine Mills Mall
Books-A-Million, Neighborhood 2, Suite 231. Grapevine Mills Mall. Grapevine, Texas. Feb. 17 at 7 p.m. 972 539-0636.