Oprah says Barbara Walters was ‘one of the reasons’ she didn’t have kids
Oprah says Barbara Walters was ‘one of the reasons’ she didn’t have kids
Oprah Winfrey revealed that the late Barbara Walters had contributed to her decision to not have children of her own.
The TV personality, 71, commented on the topic in the upcoming Hulu documentary Barbara Walters Tell Me Everything, per The Daily Beast.
Barbara, who died aged 93 in 2022, adopted a daughter named Jacqueline in 1968 with her second husband Lee Guber.
+6
View gallery
Opening up: Oprah Winfrey revealed how the late Barbara Walters contributed to her decision to not have children
However, Barbara notably had a rocky relationship with Jacqueline and at one point, her teenage daughter ran away from home for a month.
Oprah recalled how Barbara had encouraged her to have kids: ‘I remember her telling me once that there’s nothing more fulfilling than having children, and “You should really think about it”.
‘And I was like, “Okay, but I’m looking at you, so, no”.’
+6
View gallery
Rocky relationship: Oprah said Barbara’s rocky relationship with her daughter was a factor in her decision not to have children of her own
Oprah also described Barbara’s relationship with her daughter as both ‘complex’ and ‘charged’ – adding that it was ‘one of the reasons why I never had children’.
She also noted she understood Barbara’s drive when it came to her journalism career and touched on the subject of needing to make sacrifices when it comes to both work and parenting.
‘You are a pioneer in your field and you are trying to break the mold, for yourself and for women who are going to follow you,’ she said. ‘Something’s going to have to give for that.
‘And that is why I did not have children. I knew I could not do both well. Both are sacrifices. Sacrifice to do the work and it’s also sacrifice to be the mother and to say, “No, let somebody else have that”.
‘At no time have I ever heard a story, read a story, and based on what I know of Barbara Walters – at no time has Barbara Walters ever said, “No let someone else take that story”.’
+6
View gallery
Sacrifices: Oprah noted there were two sacrifices she could have made, motherhood or her career
+6
View gallery
Family: Barbara and Jacqueline are pictured together
Trailer for documentary ‘Barbara Walters Tell Me Everything’In the documentary, Barbara could be heard saying: ‘I was in my 30s when Jackie was born.
‘My daughter’s a blessing. My world came together. I mean, I was already on the Today show, and I’d had three miscarriages, and now I had everything.’
But as Jacqueline grew older, their relationship became strained while her daughter also became involved with drugs.
Barbara admitted to feeling ‘guilty’ when it came to her only child and also stated, ‘I didn’t realize how tough it was, because she had a mother who was a celebrity.’
She added, ‘We struggled through schools. And then finally, at one point, when she was 16, I guess, she ran away.’
+6
View gallery
Blessing: Barbara described her daughter as a ‘blessing’
The Hulu doc Barbara Walters Tell Me Everything is set to premiere on the streaming site on June 23.
It ‘examines the broadcast legend’s pivotal role in the history of journalism and her pioneering example for women in the industry,’ per an official synopsis.
