Barbara Walters, one of the world’s most iconic news anchors, passed away at 93.
TMZ confirms that she died at her home, surrounded by loved ones.
Walters began her career on The Today Show in the early 60s as a writer and segment producer of women’s interest stories. In 1974, she became co-host of the program, the first woman to hold such a title on an American news program. In 1976, she continued to be a pioneer for women in broadcasting by becoming the first female co-anchor of a network evening news program alongside Harry Reasoner on the ABC Evening News. From 1979 to 2004, Walters worked as a producer and co-host on the ABC news magazine 20/20. Some of her most notable interviews were featured on “20/20,” as well as other shows, including Katharine Hepburn, Fidel Castro, Monica Lewinsky, Michael Jackson, Patrick Swayze, Oprah, Vladimir Putin, John Wayne, Mike Tyson, Barbra Streisand, Lucille Ball, Muhammad Ali, Fred Astaire, Henry Kissinger, Ringo Starr, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Christopher Reeve, Hugo Chavez, Tom Cruise, Anna Wintour, and Justin Bieber among others.
Walters was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1989, and in 2007 received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2000, she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
TMZ confirms that Walter’s final on-air interview was with Donald Trump for ABC News in 2015. Her last public appearance was reportedly in 2016.
Barbara’s publicist, Cindi Berger, told TMZ … “She lived her life with no regrets. She was a trailblazer not only for female journalists but for all women.”
Our thoughts and prayers are with Walters’ family during this difficult time.
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