Burt Reynolds refused to mellow with age, and the late screen legend carried on plenty of showbiz feuds right to the very end. That included a very special hatred for acid-tongued comic Joan Rivers — whom he continued to loathe even though she’s been dead for nearly four years! “Burt never forgave Joan for kicking him when he was down,” an insider told The National ENQUIRER. “He thought she was a mean woman who made a living by spreading rumors about him — just because he’d criticized her comedy.” And his attitude didn’t change after the comedy legend had her own fatal and final plastic surgery…
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She claimed he made his cutting remark “because his
toupee was twisted or the caps on his teeth might have fallen out! He could have looked at himself in direct sunlight and realized how old he really is.”
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At the time, Burt was in agony from a jaw injury, had lost a lot of weight and his career was on the skids. In response to her dig, he fired back: “I never argue with a female impersonator. I was friends with her when she was a guy. We played on the same football team.”
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The feud continued to rage on. Burt was furious with Joan after she’d started a late-night talk show to compete with his pal
Johnny Carson, who’d helped boost his career. In his book, "
But Enough About Me," he called her a “jerk” for “turning on” Johnny, who’d also promoted Joan.
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At one point, Joan invited Reynolds to appear on her chat show — to boost ratings, not bury the hatchet. But Burt brushed off the invite, calling her “a wart — but a wart is better looking!” After
Joan died at age 81, “he was one of
few people in the industry who really didn’t care,” says the source.
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Photo credit: Getty Images
“He’ll still trash-talk her at any opportunity," said a source after Joan's death. "It’s almost as if he’s
dancing on her grave!”
Photo credit: Getty Images
She claimed he made his cutting remark “because his
toupee was twisted or the caps on his teeth might have fallen out! He could have looked at himself in direct sunlight and realized how old he really is.”
Photo credit: Getty Images
At the time, Burt was in agony from a jaw injury, had lost a lot of weight and his career was on the skids. In response to her dig, he fired back: “I never argue with a female impersonator. I was friends with her when she was a guy. We played on the same football team.”
Photo credit: Getty Images
The feud continued to rage on. Burt was furious with Joan after she’d started a late-night talk show to compete with his pal
Johnny Carson, who’d helped boost his career. In his book, "
But Enough About Me," he called her a “jerk” for “turning on” Johnny, who’d also promoted Joan.
Photo credit: Getty Images
At one point, Joan invited Reynolds to appear on her chat show — to boost ratings, not bury the hatchet. But Burt brushed off the invite, calling her “a wart — but a wart is better looking!” After
Joan died at age 81, “he was one of
few people in the industry who really didn’t care,” says the source.
Photo credit: Getty Images
“He’ll still trash-talk her at any opportunity," said a source after Joan's death. "It’s almost as if he’s
dancing on her grave!”
Photo credit: Getty Images
