“For most of us, life is auditioning,” said Barbara Walters on the Oprah Winfrey Show. “I feel I’ve been auditioning my whole life. I felt I didn’t belong in my family, and I didn’t fit in professionally.”
That’s why Barbara Walters’ new memoir is called Audition. Is she still auditioning, trying to fit in? No; her role is set.
Barbara Walters Discusses Star Jones & The View
Star Jones, a previous co-host of The View, quit during a live episode, and is now getting a divorce.
Barbara described how Star began to change during her stint on The View. She became clinically obese, and had a gastric bypass. Star didn’t tell anybody; she said her weight loss was caused by portion control and Pilates. The audience knew differently, said Barbara.
Star met Adam and fell madly in love. She wanted a princess wedding, and advertised for wedding accessories so she’d get a financial break on bridal stuff – which is how the term “Bridezilla” for Star Jones started. She became seen as a greedy bride. Star wasn’t honest about her life, and became less liked by her fans.
Life Tip: “You can do anything you like if you tell the truth,” said Oprah.
The network refused to renew Star Jones’ contract, and asked Rosie O’Donnell to host the show. Barbara Walters lied to protect Star, and felt that Star later betrayed her.
Barbara Walters Discusses Rosie O’Donnell & The View
Barbara said Rosie has “enormous emotional talent, but also a lot of anger, rage, and hurt.” Rosie is accustomed to being in control. She made some wonderful changes on The View, and Barbara said, “things were okay until Rosie started the feud with Donald Trump.”
Barbara and the network supported Rosie during the Donald Trump feud, but Rosie felt she wasn’t supported enough. She didn’t think Barbara defended Rosie enough.
Barbara described a live discussion on The View between Rosie and Elisabeth Hasselbeck, which turned into a screaming match. Barbara describes that as a terrible day, in which Rosie and Elizabeth were miserable.
Rosie O’Donnell decided not to return to The View.
Barbara Walters’ Three Marriages
Barbara has been married three times. Every time she married, she said, she had a heavy heart. She was 23 the first time, which wasn’t young in those days. She wasn’t ready to get married, but felt it was time because her friends were. Her second marriage was to a man in show business, who died of brain cancer. Her third husband was also a nice man, but it didn’t work out. Barbara said she doesn't regret any of her marriages.
Life Tip: “If you have a heavy heart and you’re getting married, don’t do it,” said Oprah.
Barbara Walters’ Affair With Edward Brook
Barbara had a two year affair with a prominent, married, black U.S. Senator – Edward Brook. He spent all his time in Washington, and never went home to his wife and family. Brook didn’t go home for the Thanksgiving or Christmas holidays. Tired of sneaking around, Barbara broke it off. Brook went home and asked his wife for a divorce.
Barbara objects to being called a mistress, but says she was “involved” with Brook. She stresses she took care of herself financially, which means she wasn’t his mistress.
Barbara admits she was infatuated with him, and that they were exciting times for her. His wife hired a detective, spawning a great deal of bad publicity. He lost his bid for the election, and divorced his wife. Brook is now happily remarried.
The One Subject That Always Makes Barbara Walters Cry
Barbara Walters’ sister was referred to as mildly retarded, which bothered Barbara a great deal. Her name was Jackie, and she’s the only thing that makes Barbara cry. She influenced Barbara more than anything else in her life – she even named her daughter after her.
Part of Barbara’s drive came from having to take care of her sister, she said. She felt it was too much – her sister was beautiful, and taught her a great deal of compassion. Jackie died alone, and Barbara still feels extremely guilty about it. She was making a speech at ABC. “I was auditioning, I was being perfect,” said Barbara.
The Subject That Haunts Barbara Walters Today
Barbara’s father made and loss fortunes, and overdosed on sleeping pills when he was millions of dollars in debt. She told the newspapers that he had a heart attack. She also lied to her family about the cause of his death.
Barbara Walters’ Daughter, Jackie
Barbara had three miscarriages and adopted her daughter Jackie. When she was 14, everything went wrong, said Barbara. She was into drugs and ran away. Jackie was apprehended and taken to an alternative school. She now runs a wilderness program for girls who are struggling with the same issues.
What Barbara Walters Knows For Sure
"Have someone to love – something beyond yourself, something that makes you know that there’s something out there beyond you," said Barbara.
And, she said, "You must be kind."
If you found Oprah Interviews Barbara Walters interesting, you might try:
