Paying respects to a legend. Celebrities mourned the loss of legendary journalist Barbara Walters after her death at the age of 93.
Walters died on Friday, December 30, with the former anchor’s publicist confirming the news to Us Weekly. “Barbara Walters passed away peacefully in her home surrounded by loved ones,” Cindi Berger shared in a statement. “She lived her life with no regrets. She was a trailblazer not only for female journalists, but for all women.”
The Massachusetts native was best known for her work on the Today show, 20/20 and The View. Walters was one of the creators and founding hosts of the popular daytime talk show.
Shortly after the news broke, Star Jones — who was one of the original hosts of the ABC talk show alongside Walters — took to social media to mourn the loss of her former colleague. “I owe Barbara Walters more than I could ever repay. Rest well sister … mother … friend … colleague … mentor,” she tweeted at the time.
Meghan McCain later joined The View after Walters left the program. The television personality paid her respects to the news icon. “Barbara Walters will always be known as a trail blazer. Her hard hitting questions & welcoming demeanor made her a household name and leader in American journalism,” she tweeted. “Her creation of The View is something I will always be appreciative of. Rest in peace you will forever be an icon.”
Disney CEO, Bob Iger, also shared his sentiments about Walters’ passing via social media. “I have sad news to share today Barbara Walters passed away this evening at her home in New York,” he wrote alongside a photo of the late reporter, which also included a longer tribute on behalf of the Walt Disney Company.
“Barbara was a true legend, a pioneer not just for women in journalism but for journalism itself. She was a one-of-a-kind reporter who landed many of the most important interviews of our time, from heads of state and leaders of regimes to the biggest celebrities and sports icons,” the message read. “I had the pleasure of calling Barbara a colleague for more than three decades, but more importantly, I was able to call her a dear friend. She will be missed by all of us at The Walt Disney Company, and we send our deepest condolences to her daughter, Jacqueline.”
Walters spent six decades of her life dedicated to reporting the news and interviewed notable icons and political figures including Audrey Hepburn, Fidel Castro, Christopher Reeve, Michael Jackson and Vladimir Putin. One of her most notable one-on-ones was with Monica Lewinksy following the news of her affair with former president Bill Clinton.
The Emmy award-winning talk show host inspired many in the industry, including Alyssa Milano. “Rest In Peace, Barbara Walters,” the actress tweeted on Friday. “Thanks for helping me find my voice.”
Scroll down to see more tributes to the notable news icon:
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Legendary Newscaster Barbara Walters Dead at 93: Meghan McCain, Star Jones and More Celebrities React
Paying respects to a legend. Celebrities mourned the loss of legendary journalist Barbara Walters after her death at the age of 93.
Walters died on Friday, December 30, with the former anchor’s publicist confirming the news to Us Weekly. “Barbara Walters passed away peacefully in her home surrounded by loved ones,” Cindi Berger shared in a statement. “She lived her life with no regrets. She was a trailblazer not only for female journalists, but for all women.”
The Massachusetts native was best known for her work on the Today show, 20/20 and The View. Walters was one of the creators and founding hosts of the popular daytime talk show.
Shortly after the news broke, Star Jones — who was one of the original hosts of the ABC talk show alongside Walters — took to social media to mourn the loss of her former colleague. “I owe Barbara Walters more than I could ever repay. Rest well sister … mother … friend … colleague … mentor,” she tweeted at the time.
Meghan McCain later joined The View after Walters left the program. The television personality paid her respects to the news icon. “Barbara Walters will always be known as a trail blazer. Her hard hitting questions & welcoming demeanor made her a household name and leader in American journalism,” she tweeted. “Her creation of The View is something I will always be appreciative of. Rest in peace you will forever be an icon.”
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Disney CEO, Bob Iger, also shared his sentiments about Walters’ passing via social media. “I have sad news to share today Barbara Walters passed away this evening at her home in New York,” he wrote alongside a photo of the late reporter, which also included a longer tribute on behalf of the Walt Disney Company.
“Barbara was a true legend, a pioneer not just for women in journalism but for journalism itself. She was a one-of-a-kind reporter who landed many of the most important interviews of our time, from heads of state and leaders of regimes to the biggest celebrities and sports icons,” the message read. “I had the pleasure of calling Barbara a colleague for more than three decades, but more importantly, I was able to call her a dear friend. She will be missed by all of us at The Walt Disney Company, and we send our deepest condolences to her daughter, Jacqueline.”
Walters spent six decades of her life dedicated to reporting the news and interviewed notable icons and political figures including Audrey Hepburn, Fidel Castro, Christopher Reeve, Michael Jackson and Vladimir Putin. One of her most notable one-on-ones was with Monica Lewinksy following the news of her affair with former president Bill Clinton.
The Emmy award-winning talk show host inspired many in the industry, including Alyssa Milano. “Rest In Peace, Barbara Walters,” the actress tweeted on Friday. “Thanks for helping me find my voice.”
Scroll down to see more tributes to the notable news icon:
Credit: Richie Buxo/Shutterstock
Alyssa Milano
“Rest In Peace, Barbara Walters,” the Charmed actress tweeted. “Thanks for helping me find my voice.”
Credit: Jim Smeal/BEI/Shutterstock
Meghan McCain
“Barbara Walters will always be known as a trail blazer. Her hard hitting questions & welcoming demeanor made her a household name and leader in American journalism,” the Arizona native shared. “Her creation of The View is something I will always be appreciative of. Rest in peace you will forever be an icon.”
Credit: Dave Allocca/StarPix/Shutterstock
Star Jones
“I owe Barbara Walters more than I could ever repay,” the lawyer wrote via Twitter. “Rest well sister … mother … friend … colleague … mentor.”
Credit: Hahn Lionel/ABACA/Shutterstock
Kareem Abdul Jabbar
“Barbara Walters never flinched when questioning the world’s most powerful people,” the former basketball player shared. “She held them accountable. She cared about the truth and she made us care too. Fortunately, she inspired many other journalists to be just as unrelenting. We are all better off because of her.”
Credit: Andrew H. Walker/AWNewYork/Shutterstock
Tamron Hall
“The Legend. The Blueprint. The Greatest. Rest in Peace Barbara Walters,” the talk show host tweeted alongside a black and white photo of the late journalist.
Credit: Stephen Lovekin/Shutterstock
Deborah Roberts
The 20/20 alum wrote a touching tribute in honor of her late coworker. “So sad to hear of the passing of Barbara Walters. What an honor to share the set @ABC with the inimitable trailblazer when I joined @abc2020,” she wrote. “Will never forget the phone call when she asked me to join the groundbreaking program.”
Credit: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP/Shutterstock
Tavis Smiley
The talk show host paid homage to Walters and shared how she inspired him in his career. “Barbara Walters was always kind and generous with me,” he reflected. “She was an amazing conversationalist and gave me great advice which I incorporated into my interview technique. A legend has passed. #BarbaraWalters.”
Credit: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP/Shutterstock
Jake Tapper
“Sending love and prayers to my friends at ABC and to Barbara’s family and friends,” the CNN reporter tweeted after learning the news.
Credit: Shutterstock
Bob Iger
“I have sad news to share today. Barbara Walters passed away this evening at her home in New York,” the Disney CEO shared alongside a photo of the late reporter and a full statement from the media company.
The statement read: “Barbara was a true legend, a pioneer not just for women in journalism but for journalism itself. She was a one-of-a-kind reporter who landed many of the most important interviews of our time, from heads of state and leaders of regimes to the biggest celebrities and sports icons. I had the pleasure of calling Barbara a colleague for more than three decades, but more importantly, I was able to call her a dear friend. She will be missed by all of us at The Walt Disney Company, and we send our deepest condolences to her daughter, Jacqueline.”
Credit: J Lingo/Shutterstock
Lynda Carter
The Wonder Woman star paid tribute to Walters’ inspiring career with a touching post. “Barbara Walters was an American institution. As the first female national news anchor, she opened the door to endless possibilities for so many girls who wanted to work in TV, myself included,” she wrote via Twitter. “Her impact cannot be overstated. I’ll miss you, Barbara. Thank you for everything.”
Credit: Kristin Callahan/Shutterstock
Keith Olbermann
“Amid some controversy long forgotten, I briefly defended Barbara Walters and her journalism,” the journalist tweeted. “Four days [later] a hand-written note arrived. It was heartfelt, modest and touching. I ran into her years later and she reminded me of it. RIP to a great soul.”
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