Barbara Walters, a pioneer as television news' first female celebrity, has passed away. She was 93 years old. Her cause of death could not be determined immediately.
Other information, like the location of her death, were not immediately disclosed.
In 1976, Walters made waves as the first female network news anchor with an astronomical yearly salary of $1 million.
Throughout more than three decades at ABC and prior to that at NBC, Walters' exclusive interviews with the famous and powerful earned her a celebrity status comparable to theirs.
However, the legendary host sometimes subject her interviewees to the most "intrusive" and tough interviews that these become iconic. Check out three of these instances:
Ricky Martin Forced to Come Out, Suffers PTSD
Ricky Martin is a multitalented artist who has made significant contributions to history as a singer, composer, and actor.
However, he is best recognized for his successful music career, especially for his famous songs Livin' la Vida Loca, She's All I've Ever Had, and The Cup of Life.
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Over 70 million recordings have been sold worldwide, and he has won countless prizes for his music, including multiple Latin Grammy Awards. Martin's career as a vocalist is unparalleled, but he has also built out a fruitful existence outside of the music industry. At the turn of the century, Ricky Martin's musical career was at its pinnacle, and he was simultaneously beginning his acting career.
With an unstoppable career trajectory, he sat down for an interview with veteran television host Barbara Walters. Not everything went as planned for the singer. As part of the interview, Walters probed him about his sexual orientation, stressing that she "thought it was necessary to confront the suspicions circulating about his sexuality."
Martin was unprepared to share his truth with the world at the time and could only say he does not feel like it.
Ricky Martin went into greater depth in an interview with People Magazine during Pride Month 2021 on how Barbara Walters' line of questioning made him feel. He said he felt violated, terrified, and then even suffered from PTSD.
Martin's reaction in real time when he was put under the microscope by Walters, together with his failure to explicitly deny that he was gay, prompted the majority of people to believe that he was, in fact, homosexual. It was also widely believed that his profession, particularly his acting aspirations, suffered as a result.
Walters was aware of the repercussions, and she later expressed sorrow for her approach during the now-infamous interview. She admitted that it was improper for her to do.
Dolly Parton
Another controversial interview was with musician Dolly Parton. The music icon was interviewed in two consecutive interviews, but she corrected Barbara Walters with the utmost dignity and grace when faced with some "attack" questions.
Parton was criticized somehow about her appearance, but the music legend responded that she felt confident in my talent and certain of her passion for life and similar sentiments.
Justin Timberlake About Britney Spears
Another controversial interview was with Justin Timberlake, where Walters inapprorpiately questioned him about Britney Spears.
Justin Timberlake participated in an hour-long interview with Barbara Walters in which he sang "Horrible Woman." Then, he addressed the rumors that Britney Spears' infidelity was the cause of their separation.
Justin Timberlake even laughed out loud when Barbara Walters inquired if Britney Spears had "kept her commitment to wait until marriage" before having s*x, which was quite a crude question.
Despite these controversial interviews, no one can deny Walters attained what she did as a journalist because she was willing to go where others did not.
Her tenacity was renowned as she competed for every major "get" in a world crowded with competition, including female journalists who had followed in her footsteps. She founded and appeared on the ABC daytime talk show "The View" as an extremely successful side project.
She taped her final appearance on "The View" in May 2014 to mark the end of her television career, but she continued to present infrequent specials after that.
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