People still talk about that wedding. It was 2004, and the hype was inescapable. Star Jones, the formidable legal mind and co-host of The View, was marrying an investment banker named Al Reynolds. It wasn't just a ceremony; it was a massive, corporate-sponsored spectacle at Saint Bartholomew’s Church in New York City. There were five hundred guests, three layers of security, and a level of opulence that felt more like a royal coronation than a private union. But when the dust settled on the five-tiered cake and the designer gowns, the world was left wondering: who was Al Reynolds, the man who became Star Jones' ex-husband just a few years later?
Honestly, the public's fascination with Al Reynolds never really went away. It shifted. It went from curiosity about his background in finance to a full-blown obsession with the rumors surrounding his personal life and the messy fallout of a very public divorce.
The Al Reynolds Era of The View
You have to remember the climate of daytime TV back then. Star Jones was at the height of her power. When she started talking about "Big Al," as she called him, the show basically turned into a wedding countdown. It was relentless. This is where the tension started, not just in her marriage, but in her career. Barbara Walters later famously admitted that the constant promotion of the wedding—and the sponsorships Star secured for everything from the invitations to the airline tickets—was hurting the show’s credibility.
Al Reynolds was an investment banker at the time. He worked for Merrill Lynch. He seemed like the perfect match for a high-powered attorney like Star. He was polished, well-dressed, and comfortable in the spotlight. Or so it seemed. Looking back, the sheer scale of the wedding probably put a target on the relationship before it even really began.
The marriage lasted about three and a half years. In 2008, Star Jones filed for divorce. It wasn't one of those quiet, "we've decided to remain friends" situations. It was loud. It was tabloid fodder. And for Al, it was the beginning of a very long journey toward redefining who he was outside of being "the husband."
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Life After the Split and the Public Coming Out
For years after the divorce, Al Reynolds stayed relatively quiet, at least compared to the media circus of 2004. There were whispers. There were rumors about his sexuality that had dogged him since the wedding day. For a long time, he ignored them. He tried to move on with his life in the private sector. But in 2017, he decided he was done hiding.
In a deeply personal interview with Radar Online, Al Reynolds came out as bisexual.
He didn't sugarcoat it. He talked about the struggle of growing up in a religious household—his father was a pastor—and the immense pressure he felt to fit a certain mold. "I am capable of loving both sexes," he said. It was a massive moment of clarity for people who had followed his story for a decade. It also reframed the entire narrative of his marriage to Star.
Did she know? That’s the question everyone asked. Star Jones has been famously tight-lipped about the specifics of their private life during that era, though she has occasionally alluded to the pain of that period. In her own words, she described the divorce as a "public humiliation." But Al’s coming out wasn't about hurting her; it was about him finally breathing. He admitted that he had been in a "don't ask, don't tell" headspace for way too long.
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Where is Al Reynolds Now?
He’s not just an "ex-husband" anymore. Not by a long shot. Al Reynolds successfully transitioned from the world of finance to the world of media and entertainment. He’s currently a lead host on FOX Soul, specifically on the show Tea-G-I-F. He’s good at it. He’s witty, he’s opinionated, and he understands the celebrity machine because he was chewed up and spit out by it.
He also spends a lot of time on his physical health. If you look at his social media, the guy is in better shape now in his 50s than he was during his wedding to Star. He’s a marathon runner. He’s a fitness enthusiast. He’s also an educator; he’s taught at the university level and holds a doctorate.
The most interesting thing about Al today is his refusal to be a victim of his past. He talks openly about the "Star Jones era" when it's relevant, but he doesn't lead with it. He’s built a brand based on being a "Social Strategist" and a media personality who actually has something to say.
The Financial Fallout and Lessons Learned
Divorce is expensive. Celebrity divorce is a nightmare. While the specifics of their settlement were largely kept under wraps due to a prenuptial agreement (which Star was very smart to have), the reputational cost was high for both.
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- Protect your brand early. Star Jones learned that tying your professional identity too closely to a personal milestone (like a wedding) is a massive risk. When the marriage failed, her standing on The View was already shaky.
- Authenticity wins the long game. Al Reynolds spent years being "the guy in the suit" next to a superstar. It wasn't until he came out and started speaking his own truth that he found a career in media that actually stuck.
- The "Sponsored Life" has a price. The 2004 wedding is often cited by PR experts as a cautionary tale. If you let brands pay for your personal life, the public feels entitled to every messy detail when things go wrong.
Moving Forward: How to View the Legacy of Al Reynolds
When you search for Al Reynolds, you're going to find the old photos of him in the white tuxedo. You'll find the old clips of Star Jones gushing about her "Prince Charming." But the real story is what happened after the cameras stopped rolling.
He survived a public drubbing. He came out on his own terms. He built a secondary career that has nothing to do with who he was married to twenty years ago. If you’re looking for a takeaway from the saga of Star Jones' ex-husband, it's that your "most famous" moment doesn't have to be your last one.
If you are following the careers of former daytime TV fixtures or interested in the intersection of celebrity and PR, keep an eye on Al's work on FOX Soul. He provides a unique perspective—someone who has been the subject of the "tea" and is now the one pouring it. To understand his trajectory, look into his recent interviews regarding his journey with his father and his faith; it adds a layer of depth that the tabloids never captured in 2004.