Barbara Walters is a renowned American broadcast journalist, television personality, and author. Walters has had a groundbreaking career in journalism and has become an iconic figure in the media industry. She is known for her insightful interviews with some of the most influential political, entertainment, and cultural figures. Throughout her career, she has broken barriers for women in journalism and has earned numerous awards and accolades for her contributions to the field.
Content of this Article
- Barbara Walters’ Appearance
- Facts About Barbara Walter
- Barbara Walters’ Net Worth
- Early Life
- Barbara Walters’ Husband and Family
- Barbara Walters’ Career
- Barbara Walters’ Real Estate
Barbara Walters’ Appearance (Height, Hair, Eyes & More)
| Height | 5 ft 5 in
1.65 m |
| Weight | 125 pounds
57 kg |
| Hair Color | Blonde |
| Eye Color | Hazel |
| Body Type | Average |
| Sexual Orientation | Straight |
Facts About Barbara Walter
| Nationality | American |
| Estimated Net Worth | $170 million |
| Religion | Jewish |
| Zodiac Sign | Libra |
| Birthplace | Boston, Massachusetts |
| Birthday | September 25, 1929 |
Barbara Walters’ Net Worth
Barbara Walters’ net worth was approximately $170 million at the time of her death. Over many years in her career, Walters hosted various TV shows like “20/20,” “The View,” and “ABC Evening News.” She started as a writer and researcher for “The Today Show” in 1961 and became co-host in 1974.
Walters made history as the first woman to co-host a U.S. news program, and, in 1976, she became the first woman to co-anchor a network evening news show. Walters passed away on December 30, 2022, at 93.
Early Life
Barbara Jill Walters was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on September 25, 1929. Her parents, Dena (maiden name Seletsky) and Lou Walters (originally Louis Abraham Warmwater) were children of Russian Jewish immigrants. Walters’ paternal grandfather, Abraham Isaac Waremwasser, was originally from Łódź, Poland, but he later moved to England and changed his surname to Warmwater.
In Walters’ early years, her father ran a nightclub called the Latin Quarter in Boston, along with E. M. Loew. Walters mentioned that her father went through ups and downs in his showbiz career, making and losing money a few times. He worked as a booking agent, less stable than her uncles’ jobs in the shoe and dress industries.
Walters had an older brother named Burton, who died from pneumonia at 14 months old. Her older sister, Jacqueline, was born with mental disabilities, and later, in 1985, she lost her life to ovarian cancer.
Education
Barbara Walters went to Lawrence School, a public school in Brookline, Massachusetts, until she left during fifth grade when her family relocated to Miami Beach in 1939. She continued her education in public schools there.
Later, when her family moved to New York City, she attended the private Ethical Culture Fieldston School for eighth grade. After another move back to Miami Beach, she resumed her studies.
Then, in the tenth grade, she returned to New York City and attended Birch Wathen School, another private school. In 1951, Walters graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English from Sarah Lawrence College in Yonkers, New York.
Barbara Walters’ Husband and Family
Barbara Walters got married four times to three different men. Her first husband was Robert Henry Katz, who worked in business and had been a Navy lieutenant. They married on June 20, 1955, at The Plaza Hotel in New York City. However, their marriage was annulled after only eleven months in 1957.
Her second husband was Lee Guber, a theatrical producer who owned a theater. They married on December 8, 1963, but divorced in 1976. Walters had three miscarriages, so they adopted a baby girl named Jacqueline Dena Guber in 1968. They called her after Walters’ sister and adopted her the same year.
Walters’ third husband was Merv Adelson, the CEO of Lorimar Television. They first got married in 1981 but divorced in 1984. They then remarried in 1986 but divorced for the second time in 1992.
In college, Walters dated lawyer Roy Cohn. He claimed to have proposed to her the night before she married Guber, but Walters denied it. She said her enduring bond with Cohn was due to his support in adopting her daughter, Jacqueline. In her autobiography, Walters also expressed gratitude for his legal help to her father.
In the 1970s, Walters dated Alan Greenspan, who became the U.S. Federal Reserve chairman. In the 1990s, she was romantically linked to United States Senator John Warner. In her autobiography, “Audition,” Walters revealed that she had an affair with Edward Brooke, a married United States Senator from Massachusetts, during the 1970s.
It’s unclear whether Walters was married at the time. She mentioned that they ended the affair to protect their careers from scandal. In 2007, Walters also dated Robert Neil Butler, a Pulitzer Prize-winning gerontologist. In 2013, Walters expressed regret for not having more children.
Barbara Walters’ Career
Barbara Walters began her career at a small advertising agency in New York City before joining the NBC network’s flagship station, WNBT-TV (now WNBC). At WNBT-TV, she worked on publicity and wrote press releases.
In 1953, Walters produced a 15-minute children’s program called “Ask the Camera,” directed by Roone Arledge. She also took on producing duties for TV host Igor Cassini (Cholly Knickerbocker). However, she left the network when Cassini pressured her to marry him and got into a physical altercation with a man she was interested in.
Walters then moved to WPIX to produce the “Eloise McElhone Show,” which unfortunately got canceled in 1954. In 1955, she became a writer for “The Morning Show” at CBS.
NBC
After spending a few years working at Tex McCrary Inc. as a publicist and as a writer at Redbook magazine, Barbara Walters joined NBC’s “The Today Show” in 1961. She started as a writer and researcher and eventually became the show’s regular “Today Girl,” handling lighter assignments and reporting on the weather. In her autobiography, she described this period before the Women’s Movement as a time when it was commonly believed that women wouldn’t be taken seriously when reporting on “hard news.”
Within a year, Walters had taken on the role of a reporter-at-large. She was responsible for developing, writing, and editing her reports and interviews. Some of her notable segments included “A Day in the Life of a Nun,” which was well-received, and another piece that explored the daily life of a Playboy Bunny.
Starting in 1971, Walters hosted her local NBC affiliate show called “Not for Women Only.” It aired in the mornings after “The Today Show.” Initially, Walters had a positive working relationship with host Hugh Downs for many years. However, when Frank McGee became the host in 1971, he insisted on having the first three questions in joint interviews with Walters. It was when McGee’s passing in 1974 that NBC officially recognized Walters as the program’s first female co-host. This made her the very first female co-host of a U.S. news program.
ABC
Barbara Walters secured a groundbreaking five-year, $5 million contract with ABC, making her the highest-paid news anchor, regardless of gender. From 1976 to 1978, she co-anchored the “ABC Evening News” alongside Harry Reasoner, becoming the first female network news anchor in the United States.
Walters and Reasoner faced challenges in their working relationship. Reasoner had reservations about having a co-anchor, even though he had worked alongside Howard K. Smith from CBS on ABC for several years. Walters clarified that their tension stemmed from Reasoner’s aversion to working with a co-anchor and his general dissatisfaction at ABC rather than any personal dislike towards her.
In 1979, Walters reunited with her former “The Today Show” co-host, Hugh Downs, and became a correspondent on the ABC newsmagazine “20/20.” At ABC, Walters played a significant role in various news specials, offering commentary on events such as presidential inaugurations and the coverage of the September 11 attacks.
Additionally, she was selected to moderate the third and final debate between presidential candidates Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford in 1976. This debate occurred at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, at Phi Beta Kappa Memorial Hall.
In 1984, Walters moderated a presidential debate at the Dana Center for the Humanities at Saint Anselm College in Goffstown, New Hampshire.
The View
Barbara Walters co-hosted the daytime talk show “The View” and co-executed it for 25 years alongside her business partner, Bill Geddie. They were the co-creators of their production company, BarWall Productions. “The View” made its debut on August 11, 1997.
In the show’s original opening credits, Walters described it as a platform for women of different generations, backgrounds, and viewpoints to engage in discussions. In its second season, the opening credits featured the phrase, “Be careful what you wish for…”
During her time on “The View,” Walters and the show received Daytime Emmy Awards, winning Best Talk Show in 2003 and Best Talk Show Host in 2009. Walters retired from her role as a co-host on May 15, 2014, but occasionally returned as a guest co-host in 2014 and 2015, even during her retirement.
Barbara Walters’ Real Estate
Barbara Walters lived in a New York City co-op building at 944 Fifth Avenue for three decades until her passing. Her apartment was an impressive 11-room unit featuring a library, formal dining room, dressing room, and a spacious living room with a direct view of Central Park. In April 2023, her estate put this long-standing apartment on the market for $19.75 million.
Net Worth of Other Notable TV Hosts
Andy Cohen’s Net Worth
Andy Cohen is a renowned American television host, producer, and author who has left a significant mark on the entertainment industry. Best known for his captivating hosting style on the late-night talk show “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen,” Cohen has built a loyal following. He is also notable for his influential role as an executive at Bravo TV, where he was instrumental in creating the iconic “Real Housewives” franchise. His diverse career encompasses a wide range of achievements, from television to radio, books, and even real estate investments. As of 2023, Andy Cohen’s net worth is estimated to be around $50 million.
Chelsea Handler’s Net Worth
Chelsea Handler, a renowned American comedian, actress, author, and television host, has built a reputation for her sharp and audacious humor. Celebrated for hosting the late-night talk show “Chelsea Lately” on E! and her distinctive comedic approach, Handler has been a dominant figure in the entertainment industry. Besides her television endeavors, she has penned multiple books, with titles like “My Horizontal Life” and “Are You There, Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea” becoming bestsellers. As of 2023, Chelsea Handler’s net worth stands at approximately $35 million.