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Famous journalist and The View co-host Barbara Walters passed away on Friday, December 30, at the age of 93. The official social media page of The View paid tribute to her by posting a picture and wrote that they were lucky to have Walters as their creator, colleague, and friend. The post continued:
“She was a pioneering television icon that shattered many glass ceilings as a woman in the industry, including creating ‘The View’ in 1997 to champion women’s voices. We’re proud to be part of her legacy. She’ll be forever remembered and missed.”
CNN host Don Lemon also expressed his grief, saying that Walters was amazing on television. Lemon also wrote that he loved spending time with Walters in person and sitting next to her and hearing her at a dinner party was one of his best moments with The View co-host. He concluded by writing:
“I was in awe of her. With respect and admiration, rest in peace Barbara Walters.”
The late journalist's representative, Cindi Berger, said that Barbara Walters died quietly at her residence and was surrounded by her family members.
Barbara Walters was suffering from dementia, among a few other health issues
Barbara was reportedly struggling with dementia following her retirement as a journalist. Her condition took a worse turn in the last few years, although she never disclosed her health issues to her fans and followers.
RadarOnline reported that she never left her bed and could not recognize her friends easily. The source added that she was suffering from exhaustion, fatigue, anxiety, and agitation.
Apart from that, Barbara also suffered from aortic valve stenosis and had a faulty aortic valve for which she had to undergo surgery in 2010. The problem was fixed, and her representative revealed a few days later that the surgery was successful and she was fine.
Four months ago, her fans were worried about her health when Whoopi Goldberg gave a shoutout to her on The View. Although Goldberg did not hint at anything about Barbara’s health condition, the latter's reduced public appearances increased concern among people.
Barbara Walters was well-known for her association with ABC
Barbara Walters initially joined The Today Show on NBC in 1961 and became the co-host of the show in 1974. She soon joined ABC and was the co-anchor of ABC Evening News for two years.
She then hosted 20/20 on ABC in 1979. As a journalist, Barbara interviewed popular personalities like Vladimir Putin, Jiang Zemin, Indira Gandhi, Vaclav Havel, Michael Jackson, Katharine Hepburn, and more. She joined as a co-host of The View in August 1997 and continued hosting the show until 2014.
The journalist continued working for ABC until 2016 and confirmed in May 2013 that she will take retirement as a host in May 2014. She then returned to host a few episodes of 20/20 in 2015.
Barbara was also the host of a documentary series on Investigation Discovery, titled American Scandals. In 1989, she was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2007.
The late journalist is survived by her daughter, Jacqueline Danforth, whom she adopted with her second husband, Lee Guber.
