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Since it's been at least forty minutes since we mentioned Judith Regan, we thought we'd take this time to advance a little irresponsible speculation concerning the reason for her departure. In a January 2005 profile of Regan from Vanity Fair (which is chock full of delicious quotey goodness), we noted the following:

When it comes to picking books, "Judith doesn't listen to anything or anybody," says brand-identity designer Jeff Stone, who is also the companion of HarperCollins C.E.O. Jane Friedman. "A man has a golden gut. She goes with her golden vagina."

So let's see, HarperCollins C.E.O. Jane Friedman's boyfriend sings the praises of another woman's vagina in a national print publication? Is it just us, or do you have the feeling that Jane was just biding her time, waiting for the appropriate moment to axe this electroplated twat and banish thoughts of her bronze bukiluki from her beau's brain forever? Heck, it makes as much sense as the "said mean things to Jews" excuse.

The Devil and Miss Regan [VF]