'The View,' Oprah Winfrey, Rosie O'Donnell, more honor Barbara Walters (original) (raw)
The cast of The View, Oprah Winfrey, Katie Couric, Diane Sawyer, and more have paid tribute to the late Barbara Walters.
The legendary broadcast journalist — who, among her many achievements, became the first female network news co-anchor and created the daytime talk show The View — died at her home in New York City at the age of 93 on Dec. 30.
Following the announcement of Walters' death, journalists, actors, athletes, her The View cohosts, and more took to social media to remember the trailblazing news icon.
Oprah Winfrey, Katie Couric, and more have paid tribute to the late Barbara Walters. Leon Bennett/WireImage; Taylor Hill/Getty Images; Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
"[_The View_] family is so very lucky to have called Barbara Walters our creator, colleague, and friend. We're heartbroken at the news of her passing," the series wrote in a statement on social media. "She was a pioneering television icon that shattered many glass ceilings as a woman in the industry, including creating The View in 1997 to champion women's voices. We're proud to be part of her legacy. She'll be forever remembered and missed."
In an emotional Instagram post, Oprah Winfrey said, "Without Barbara Walters, there wouldn't have been me — nor any other woman you see on evening, morning, and daily news." She continued, "She was indeed a trailblazer. I did my very first television audition with her in mind the whole time. Grateful that she was such a powerful and gracious role model. Grateful to have known her. Grateful to have followed in her light."
Past and present cast members of The View also honored the show's creator, including Sunny Hostin, who mourned the loss of her "mentor and colleague" while abroad in Ghana.
"The world has lost a remarkable woman today," she wrote. "I am heartbroken to hear of Barbara's passing. She was an extraordinary, meticulous, and no-nonsense journalist with a wicked sense of humor. She shattered countless glass ceilings, and did it with grace and humility. While I'm deeply saddened by this loss and will miss her terribly, I'm forever grateful for the trails she blazed for me and so many others. I'm humbled and honored to carry on her legacy. Rest in Power."
Sherri Shepherd shared her appreciation for Walters for giving her the "chance of a lifetime" on the show. "Thank you for allowing me to find my voice and encouraging me to fly," she wrote. "My heart hurts, but I'll always love you, lady!"
And Meghan McCain recalled how Walters' "hard-hitting questions and welcoming demeanor made her a household name and leader in American journalism" throughout her decades-long career. "She was the ultimate ceiling breaker for women in television for which we all were lucky enough to follow," she wrote. "Her creation of The View is something I will always be appreciative of. Rest in peace. You will forever be an icon."
In her tribute, Sara Haines thanked Walters for creating opportunities with The View. "When she got her seat at the table, she decided to build her own new table," Haines wrote. "It is my honor that I get to take a seat at that table every day at The View. Thank you for paving the way for all of us who come after."
On Instagram, Alyssa Farah Griffin revealed the mental motto she adopted after becoming a cohost on the show: "What Would Barbara Walters Do?"
"I repeat it in my head all the time to remind myself to keep my poise, grace, and composure," she wrote. "She paved the way for so many of us, and for that I'm forever grateful. Her legacy will live on."
Former View star Rosie O'Donnell took to social media to share two tributes to Walters, first posting a photo of the pair together before sharing a video in which she reflected on being "lucky enough to be in [Walters'] orbit for a good many years" during her life after O'Donnell left the show. "May she rest in peace and may everyone remember just what barriers she broke down for women," O'Donnell said. "She really did. She was the first, and will always be remembered."
Although they had a long friendship, the pair had fallouts in the past. After Donald Trump lambasted O'Donnell for her comments about him on The View in 2007, she and Walters reportedly butted heads backstage because O'Donnell thought Walters hadn't stood up for her enough. That same year, according to Ramin Setoodeh's book Ladies Who Punch: The Explosive Inside Story of The View, Walters reportedly leaked a portion of O'Donnell's second memoir, Celebrity Detox, to the New York Post because she wasn't happy with the way O'Donnell characterized her, and even threatened to leave the show if O'Donnell returned the following season.
Meanwhile, fellow journalists including Katie Couric recognized Walters' "unparalleled" body of work, with Couric sharing the "kindness and encouragement" she received from her along the way.
"As I wrote in my book, she liked to say we were similar — that neither of us was particularly glamorous. I never quite knew how to take that!" Couric joked. "But the fact that Barbara saw some of her on me was nothing but a compliment. Thank you for everything, Barbara."
Diane Sawyer remembered "my friend and road buddy" and honored her contributions to journalism in a statement, writing, "Sadness. Gratitude. And a salute from all of us who know what we owe her."
Read on for tributes to Walters from Hugh Jackman, Reese Witherspoon, Barbra Streisand, Kerry Washington, Paul McCartney, Don Lemon, and more.
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