Barbara Walters' friends are concerned about the longtime television star's health. Last year reports emerged that she was struggling with dementia and a heart condition. Now her former "The View" co-host, Jenny McCarthy, has revealed that Walters was "not doing great." The 47-year-old shared the news on her SiriusXM show last week.
"I heard that she’s in a place of not doing great, and I just talked to Sherri Shepherd about it and we’re sending some cards over to her," said McCarthy.
On the eve of her 90th birthday last year, rumors of Walters' ailing health began to circulate. The iconic journalist has grown increasingly reclusive, sparking speculation that it is due to illness.
Walters had allegedly stopped recognizing many of her friends, and her decisions were being made by caretakers, International Business Times reported last year.
McCarthy did not elaborate, but she said Walters was a fighter.
"That woman is a juggernaut that’ll just keep going no matter what," she said.
The two women worked alongside one another on "The View" from 2013 to 2014. During that time, McCarthy said she was grateful for her time with her co-host.
"The best thing that came out of it was Barbara Walters," she continued. "Being able to be there for her last year. I really soaked in as much as I could of her, like, skill set, tools, tips. I listened, took notes. So that was the best."
Walters retired in 2014, after five decades in television. She decided not to take on any other projects after leaving "The View," which was a first for her.
"It's the first time I don’t have something else [on the air] to go to," Walters noted. "I look forward to that."
Walters said at the time that, while she could have stayed on the talk show, she decided not to.
"I control the show. It's not as if anyone asked me to leave," she said. "But I’ve accomplished what I wanted to accomplish."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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