A family member confirmed that longtime television journalist Barbara Walters passed away on Friday at her home in New York City.
Walters is survived by her daughter Jacqueline Dena Guber, according to Breitbart News
“Barbara Walters passed away peacefully in her home surrounded by loved ones,” Walters’ representative, Cindi Berger, said. “She lived her life with no regrets. She was a trailblazer not only for female journalists, but for all women.”
Writing for NBC's Today program, Walters began her career in television journalism in 1961. Walters moved to ABC in 1976, where she became the network's first female news anchor and scored some of her most notable interviews.
Walters co-hosted 20/20 beginning in 1979 after appearing as a star on ABC's Evening News. Walters co-founded The View in 1997 and hosted the program until May 2014.
For her contributions to television journalism over the course of her career, which lasted five decades, Walters was honored with 12 Emmy trophies.
Famous celebrities including Fidel Castro, Monica Lewinsky, Oprah, Michael Jackson, and former President Donald Trump are just a few of the famous people Walters has spoken with throughout the years.
In 2014, when she made her farewell appearance as co-host of The View, Walters made one of her final appearances on television.
“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.”
Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger issued a statement mourning Walters’ death in a statement.
“Barbara was a true legend, a pioneer not just for women in journalism but for journalism itself,” Iger said. “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 have sad news to share today. Barbara Walters passed away this evening at her home in New York. pic.twitter.com/fxSyU6BQk4
— Robert Iger (@RobertIger) December 31, 2022
“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.”
Walters' conducted her iconic interviews with some of the most prominent individuals the world over, creating a legacy as one of the most prolific interviewers on television.