Star Jones: I Needed Therapy After Being Fired from 'The View'

“Sometimes a little kick in the butt is exactly what you need to take some stock of your own life, and that's what I did,” the former host explained.

Now, as Star returns to television with a daytime show, she says she feels like a different person.

“I'd always been taught that showing weakness was a sign that somebody could take advantage of you, when in reality, showing weakness shows strength,” she said.

But in a startlingly candid sit-down, Star admitted she still hasn't patched up her bitter year-long feud with Barbara Walters.

“We've not spoken since the day I left,” she said. “There were hurt feelings, and I understand that. But you know what? Everybody has moved on.”

Star also revealed why it took her so long to publicly admit to gastric bypass surgery, a procedure that allowed her to lose a shocking amount of weight.

“I was too ashamed to admit it,” she confessed. “Too scared that people would judge me; too insecure to say all of that big, loud talk was not the real Star.”

But the feisty 45-year-old TV personality insists she'll never discuss her 4-year marriage to banker Al Reynolds or address persistent rumors that it's in trouble.

“It is extremely private,” she blasted. “I will protect it at all costs, because it's the most precious thing to me.”