Vieira's "View" Apology

Tue., Aug. 29, 2006 10:25 AM PDT by Gina Serpe

If Star Jones Reynolds taught her View cohosts anything, it's that scoring quality swag means some shameless onair shilling. That, and it's best not to get on the bad side of Barbara Walters.

Looks like when it comes to the latter, Meredith Vieira was paying attention.

The future Today coanchor issued an apology to her former View mistress yesterday after Vieira was quoted in Time magazine calling the show she decamped from last spring "a joke."

In an interview with the weekly newsmag, Vieira was asked if she had watched the daily chatfest since her departure and what she thought of Reynolds' high-profile exit.

"I didn't watch at all," Vieira said. "I needed to think ahead. But I have to admit, the day after Star made her announcement, I watched. I feel very sad for everything that's happened and for everybody involved.

"I'm proud of the work we did there, but it's not a good time in the history of that show. It's hard to watch. It sort of became a joke."

The magazine hit newsstands Monday and, shortly thereafter, something else hit the fan. As her remarks became headline fodder, Vieira quickly backpedaled, telling Tuesday's New York Post her words were taken out of context and that the "joke" she was referring to was the media frenzy surrounding the show, not the show itself.

"In those days following Star's departure, in particular, it became a feeding frenzy, and I felt the media was turning the show into a joke...that it was becoming fodder for lots of mean-spirited articles," said Vieira. "I found that hurtful. There was lots of ridicule, which I felt was unfair to lots of wonderful people there.

"I did call Barbara because I was very upset, and she was upset, too. She said [the 'joke' remark] 'doesn't sound like you, but if it was you, I'll have to hurt your husband.' "

And, Vieira added, "the show is going to shine in the fall," when Rosie O'Donnell takes over the moderator's seat.

Vieira wasn't the only one to issue a clarification. On the magazine's Website, Time's editors issued a disclaimer at the end of the interview.

"Ms. Vieira's remarks about The View were intended to refer to the media attention and circus-like atmosphere surrounding the show in recent months; not the show itself. She assures Time that in no way were her comments meant to be insensitive or derogatory about a program she takes great pride in having built and been associated with for the last nine years."

The O'Donnell-powered View launches Sept. 5, while Vieira takes her Today seat opposite Matt Lauer on Sept. 13.