Star & Al: talk about their love the wedding the lies

Ebony, Dec, 2004 by Lynn Norment

"He's the absolute love of life. Look at that smile." Star Jones adoringly strokes the face of her soon-to-be husband, Al Reynolds, and snuggles even closer as they sit intertwined at the large wooden dining table in their home.

"Definitely, she is the love of my life," Reynolds adds.

That's how the high-profile couple ended a long, rainy autumn day in New York City--at home in their well-appointed Upper East Side penthouse, expressing mutual love and admiration. While the rain and wind kept up a fuss outside, in the Jones-Reynolds household, all was cozy.

There are not many celebrity-watchers who don't know about television personality Star Jones and private wealth banker Al Reynolds' big wedding. In newspapers and magazines across the country, on radio and television entertainment shows, Star and Al are often the focus. The couple has a Web site where fans can view photographs and get the latest tidbits about the bride and groom and the planning.

Naysayers said the marriage would never happen. Others said that if it did, it wouldn't last. Some lament they are tired of hearing and reading about it. One national radio commentator said of the hoopla: "Star is a controversial figure, but there's a lot of controversy around this wedding."

But anyone who spends any time with Star Jones and Al Reynolds walk away with a renewed faith in love and romance--and spiritual bonding.

When Star walks down the aisle in the ceremony scheduled for mid-November in a strapless designer gown, when she and Al exchange vows before hundreds of family and friends at the star-studded nuptials, it will be a year to the day that they met in 2003.

When asked about the hoopla concerning the wedding, Jones prompts Reynolds to repeat what he often says to her: "Star doesn't want a wedding; she wants a parade."

"Hi, I'm the bride," Star says with a laugh and wave of her diamond-ladened hand.

"I feel very strongly about this," Reynolds continues. "If she wants a wedding, why not have a wedding?"

"There's only one person I need to get approval from, and he's sitting here with me, and he gets a kick out of my over-the-top whimsy," adds Star. "As Janet would say, why is it their business anyway? Unless you have to pay for it, why do you care if it's going to be over the top and fun? It's a wedding fantasy. But the marriage belongs to us."

In February 2004, just three months after meeting Star, Reynolds proposed in front of millions of television viewers and 20,000 fans during the 2004 NBA All-Star Game in Los Angeles. During a candid interview at their home, the first that they have given as a couple, the two say they fell in love as they realized they share so many interests. Both have Southern roots--her family is from North Carolina, his from Northern Virginia. They both are family-oriented, Bible-quoting churchgoers. And both have a passion for helping others and funding charitable endeavors.

Together, they have learned firsthand that being a high-profile couple has its challenges, some that took Reynolds by surprise. "I was just falling in love, that's all I knew," he says. "We were so whimsical, so silly. We'd go to a club and dance all night, go to dinner and talk all night. We'd walk around holding hands, window shopping."

"Some of which got us in the paper," adds Star.

A few weeks before the wedding, the New York Post ran a story about controversy concerning Jones supposedly promising acknowledgement for those who donated product and services for her wedding. "I have done nothing illegal, immoral or unethical," she told the Post.

Last March, other media stories cast aspersions on Reynold's dating history. In a statement last spring, Star said: "My fiance 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."

On this rainy evening, they address that issue again. "We actually sat at this table together and made the statement," Star says. "I know everything I need to know about Al, and he's never lied to me once about anything, ever. And I'm an extremely smart girl. I don't think that anybody in this country would say 'she's stupid.' I've never, ever made a choice that was not well-informed, well thought out and with all the facts.

"And when my man looks me in the eye and tells me the truth, I really don't care what others think. So they can write what they want to write, and they can say what they want to say. His word means more to me than someone else's opinion."

Al chimes in. "That's how I feel about it too. I think it's ridiculous."

Star: "Then again, we've heard other rumors. One week Al is a gay man. The next day he is a philanderer with six women. We made a joke of it. Al actually asked, 'Baby, who am I this week?' In addition to his word, I know Al's family, I know Al's friends. I don't care what people think. I have to be real straight with you. We never thought that people would not be happy [that we are together]. We were terribly naive. We're learning that some people resent the fact that an African-American couple has the wherewithal to live a life that is fun, glamorous, spirit-filled, and family-oriented" Star says of the naysayers. "There are people who are very resentful of that ... and some of them run newspapers. I don't want to sound mean, but I'm not going to let them rob me of my joy."