VALERIE’S VERSION

Several false statements were made regarding my dismissal from my series, “Valerie” (“Exorcising Valerie’s Ghost at NBC,” by Steve Weinstein, Sept. 19).

After Lorimar and I agreed on all the provisions of our contract, I reported to work on Aug. 4 and successfully filmed an episode the evening of Aug. 7. The cast, crew and audience were all very pleased.

On Monday, Aug. 10, after a two-hour wardrobe session for the upcoming season of “Valerie,” around mid-day, a call came that I was off the show. Executive producer Bob Boyett stated that, “If Valerie Harper had really wanted to do the show, we would have been thrilled to continue.”

In fact, I very much wanted to continue the show that I helped create, which bears my name, and I notified the producers of that fact both personally and in writing.

Also, Boyett’s statement that “Sunday, Aug. 9, Valerie Harper and Lorimar decided to part company,” is untrue. In fact, I “decided” nothing of the kind. The truth is, I had no communication whatsoever with Lorimar all that weekend.

As for Brandon Tartikoff’s statement that he did not want to dismantle a show because the star walked off, this star did not walk off the show, but was fired.

VALERIE HARPER

Beverly Hills