Talk about a bad week for Star Jones. First, Donald Trump fires her from Celebrity Apprentice. Now her ex-husband is threatening legal action against her.
A rep for Al Reynolds confirms to E! News that he is taking his former missus to court for $50,000 in damages after she allegedly breached a clause in their divorce settlement when she spoke badly about their short-lived union on national TV.
The former Wall Street exec's lawyer filed a complaint in Miami-Dade County Court after Star failed to respond to his client's initial demands.
According to Reynolds' camp, the clause in question was at Jones' request and stipulated that neither party would speak negatively about the other publicly or they would have to pay a $50,000 penalty to the offended party.
As it turned out, per court docs (read the full complaint here), the erstwhile View cohost committed such a violation when she turned up on the March 25 edition of The Wendy Williams Show and said, "The wedding was fabulous, but the marriage was kind of a booty."
Perhaps the investment banker called her "sweetie" one too many times like Meat Loaf did on Sunday night's episode of Celebrity Apprentice. But either way, Al now wants her to pay up big time.
"This was a private matter between Al and Star and is unfortunate that it reached the Public Domain. Starr's failure to respond to the original demand letter resulted in Al's legal representation, Jason Weiss, taking the necessary steps of filing documents in the Miami-Dade County Courts," said Reynolds' publicist, Amanda Mitchell.
According to the rep, Reynolds has "always taken the high road" when it came to the couple's breakup and subsequent divorce and has "no hard feelings" toward his ex-wife.
However "the unnecessary and disparaging statements made over the years regarding their marriage to mutual friends, in TV and print interviews and tweets must stop;" Mitchell added. "And if Al filing paperwork utilizing the very clause that Star wanted in the divorce decree is used to stop her from the constant blasphemy of Al and their marriage vows, then so be it."
Reynolds also denied tabloid rumors that he was in a relationship with Jones' Apprentice rival, Real Housewives of Atlanta star NeNe Leakes, who during an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show accused Jones of being "manipulative" and "conniving."
According to the rep, the Reynolds and Leakes are just acquaintances who were introduced to each other through mutual friends. As a result, Star's harsh comments about her fellow contestant would not be considered a violation of their divorce clause.
A publicist for Star was unavailable for comment.
Reynolds and Jones married in a lavish wedding in 2004 for which Star drew criticism for using her then-gig on The View to fund through endorsement deals. The pair subsequently divorced in 2008.