Longtime TV Journalist Barbara Walters Has Passed Away At 93

Longtime television journalist Barbara Walters passed away at her home in New York City on Friday at the age of 93.

The news was revealed through an announcement from Cindi Berger, a representative of Walters’ family.

“Barbara Walters passed away peacefully in her home surrounded by loved ones,” Berger said. “She lived her life with no regrets. She was a trailblazer not only for female journalists but for all women.”

Walters got her start in TV journalism in 1961 writing for NBC’s Today Show — but later moved to ABC in 1976, where she became the first female network news anchor. Following her career on ABC’s Evening News, Walters became a co-host of the network’s show “20/20” in 1979. She also co-founded the talk show “The View,” where she was a co-host until May 2014.

After moving to ABC, Walters landed some of her biggest interviews. Some of the most prominent figures interviewed by the popular anchor over the years include former President Donald Trump, Oprah, Michael Jackson, Fidel Castro, Monica Lewinsky and numerous other famous people.

During her TV career that spanned five decades, Walters won 12 Emmy awards for her work in TV journalism.

One of her final TV appearances was as a co-host of “The View” in 2014, where she discussed her plans for the future.

“I do not want to appear on another program or climb another mountain,” Walters said at the time. “I want instead to sit on a sunny field and admire the very gifted women — and OK, some men too — who will be taking my place.”

Walters is survived by her daughter, 54-year-old Jacqueline Dena Guber, whom she and her second husband adopted as an infant in 1968.

Bob Iger, CEO of ABC’s parent company Walt Disney Co., mourned Walters’ passing in a statement.

“Barbara was a true legend, a pioneer not just for women in journalism but for journalism itself,” Iger wrote. “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,” Iger concluded. “She will be missed by all of us at The Walt Disney Company, and we send our deepest condolences to her daughter, Jacqueline.”

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR