Barbara Walters ‘The Rulebreaker’ Biography: Most Shocking Revelations

Barbara Walters was one of the most influential people to ever hit the American airwaves, but her story was more complex than just being a trailblazer of network news. Hitting shelves on Tuesday, April 23, is Susan Page’s The Rulebreaker: The Life and Times of Barbara Walters, a biography chronicling her entire life and career (although clearly, those two terms were synonymous for her). The book is rich with details about what made Walters tick even as a child and how cutthroat she could be when it came to protecting her hardwon place atop ABC News.

There are a lot of details in the book that are uplifting, saddening, and downright shocking. Here we’ll outline a few of the most surprising things we learned about Barbara Walters from The Rulebreaker.

She didn’t like SNL parodies of her, but warmed up to them in a touching way

On the one hand, being impersonated on SNL is something of a fame marker for anyone, so it’s innately complimentary. However, when Gilda Radner first presented her version of Walters on the show, she hit a very tender spot by making fun of Walters’ difficulty with pronouncing “r” sounds. “Baba Wawa,” as Radner’s caricature version dubbed herself, was first introduced in 1976, and comedians Rachel Dratch and Cheri Oteri would later offer their own variations on the show. Page reveals in The Rulebreaker that Walters “felt exposed and ridiculed” by Radner’s sketches, but she ultimately showed a bit of respect for the actress’ work. When Radner died, Walters sent Gene Wilder, her surviving husband, a note of support signed by “Baba Wawa.”

Her first professional feud resulted in some surprising supporters

When Walters first joined the news profession, she was demeaned by many of her male colleagues, but no one more than Harry Reasoner. The two were paired up for Walters’ long-sought-after first evening news spot, The ABC Evening News with Harry Reasoner and Barbara Walters, and the tension between them was palpable right away. Walters received letters of encouragement from audiences who could sense the spite Reasoner had for her, including one from — of all people — John Wayne, who wrote, “Don’t let the bastards get you down.” The terseness of their dynamic didn’t help the show survive, marking an abrupt end to Walters’ evening news career.

She undercut Andrea Mitchell’s effort to get her storied Fidel Castro interview

At a time when U.S.-Cuba relations were still exceptionally strained, NBC’s Andrea Mitchell managed to score an interview with the erstwhile dictator Fidel Castro. Upon hearing of this — at a private dinner in her home, no less — Walters decided to upend that arrangement and steal the interview for herself. Not only did it work, but her interview would prove to be a career-defining moment for Walters, while Mitchell had to hop right back on a plane home with fury.

News reports repeatedly got her marital statistics wrong

Even after her death, some reporters were convinced that Walters had been married a total of four times to three men — with the conceit being that she’d married and divorced her third husband Merv Adelson and then remarried him and got divorced again. However, according to The Rulebreaker, that was completely false; Walters herself tried to correct the long-lasting error by describing their marriage as singular in her note to the New York Times for his obituary. Still, the mistake persisted even with NYT!

 

She was especially ruthless when it came to Diane Sawyer

One thing The Rulebreaker makes clear is the utter disdain Walters had for fellow female journalists whom she perceived as having too easy a time earning success and respect from male colleagues. The person who received the majority of her ire was Diane Sawyer, whose first day included an attempted interview theft by Walters. While that effort was unsuccessful, Walters did later succeed at convincing Bill Clinton’s White House aides that an interview that was supposed to be with Sawyer should instead be conducted by Walters. While Walters’ boss was furious, the interview proceeded, and Sawyer held a grudge. She even once told someone in the elevator with her, “I hate that woman. Don’t believe a word she says. She knifes me any chance she gets.” Sawyer did get her back by beating her to an interview with Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat, but Walters simply sharpened her knives for the next low-blow attack.

She (probably) outed Rosie O’Donnell to spite Sawyer

When Sawyer recorded an interview with Rosie O’Donnell to discuss the comedian’s sexuality for the first time, Walters decided to scoop her by mentioning that O’Donnell was gay during an episode of The View. Walters later denied any ill intent, calling it a “misunderstanding.” According to The Rulebreaker, though, Walters quietly resented Sawyer not only for having an easier road to the top in the business but also maintaining a successful marriage where Walters did not.

She convinced Monica Lewinsky to turn down millions for her first interview

The impeachment and fall from grace of Bill Clinton was massive news across the nation, and no one was more sought-after for an interview than his alleged paramour Monica Lewinsky. Walters was against some stiff competition for the job; according to the book, Rupert Murdoch was offering millions Lewinsky, money which she desperately needed for legal bills and other expenses. However, while Walters couldn’t offer her a dime, she did craft an offer that gave Lewinsky an opportunity to sell her story worldwide, and she managed to get the interview, which would reach an audience of 70 million.

She undermined O’Donnell to stay in Donald Trump’s good graces

In a 2006 episode, then cohost Rosie O’Donnell slammed Donald Trump for being a “snake oil salesman,” adding, “Left the first wife, had an affair. Left the second wife, had an affair…” He inherited a lot of money, and he’s been bankrupt so many times where he didn’t have to pay.” That last part, about his financial circumstances, was what had Trump reeling and threatening to sue ABC, O’Donnell, and even Walters, who wasn’t there that day (instead she was off lounging on Judge Judy’s superyacht). To ameliorate the situation, the brass got Walters on a three-way call with Trump, and he walked away satisfied, claiming that Walters had disparaged O’Donnell, saying that working with her was “like living in hell,” and adding, “Don’t worry, she won’t be here for long.” O’Donnell, for one, believed it, saying, “For me the worst part of it is I knew, front he get-go, twisted though he was, I knew in my heart Barbara said those things… When the sh** hit the fan, she tossed the women’s club aside and cast her allegiance with the wealthy guy.”

There are still plenty of other extraordinary stories about Walters’ personal life and professional achievements to be found in The Rulebreaker, which is now on shelves.