Acknowledgments

When it comes to acknowledging appreciation, let me start with Barbara Jill Walters.

Her groundbreaking life was extraordinary both for her determination and her demons, creating a legacy that continues to resonate today. I am sorry that her health made it impossible for me to interview her in person for this biography. Fortunately, she had lived her life out loud. The hundreds of interviews she gave and the thousands of interviews she conducted provided a window into the hurdles she faced and the mountains she climbed.

Many of those who worked with her and those who were close to her provided important information and insights. I’m grateful to them for their trust and their time. In particular, my thanks to Kerry Smith and the leadership at ABC News and to Cindi Berger, Barbara’s longtime publicist, for their cooperation. Two previous books, Barbara Walters: An Unauthorized Biography, by Jerry Oppenheimer, published in 1990, and Ladies Who Punch: The Explosive Inside Story of The View, by Ramin Setoodeh, published in 2019, were especially useful resources, as was Barbara’s 2008 memoir, Audition. I appreciate the help of Abby Lester and Christina Kasman, archivists at Sarah Lawrence’s Esther Raushenbush Library, which houses Barbara Walters’s papers.

My agents, Matt Latimer and Keith Urbahn of Javelin, once again were invaluable every step of the way, starting with the notion of Barbara Walters as a subject. They have made every aspect of this project possible and better. My researcher, Lillianna Byington, was a crucial partner, as she has been before. This account is richer and more accurate because of her intelligence and her diligence. Romina Ruiz-Goiriena delivered remarkable research assistance in Miami. My editor, Priscilla Painton of Simon & Schuster, is an author’s dream, with smarts and skills that are threaded through this book. My thanks to the entire Simon & Schuster team, led by Jonathan Karp and including Hana Park, Lisa Healy, Fred Chase, Carolyn Levin, Julia Prosser, Elizabeth Herman, Stephen Bedford, Elizabeth Venere, Jackie Seow, Amanda Mulholland, Paul Dippolito, Joy O’Meara, Debbie Friedman, and Catherine Foster.

Of course, any errors are mine alone.

I am proud of my association with USA Today and grateful for the support of my bosses there, among them Maribel Perez Wadsworth, Nicole Carroll, Kristin Roberts, Terence Samuel, and Caren Bohan. Family members and friends helped at key moments. Kevin Bohn and Leslie Bennetts shared their encyclopedic knowledge and endless enthusiasm. Mimi Hall and Lee Horwich were early and perceptive readers. Dr. Lynn Montz gave guidance on medical passages and Michael Dee on legal ones. Carl Leubsdorf Jr. provided tech support, even at inconvenient times.

As always, Carl Leubsdorf Sr. was my first, my last, my most demanding, and my most appreciative reader.

Thank you.