Barbara Walters’ Most Iconic Interviews

Legendary journalist Barbara Walters died at the age of 93 on Friday, and since her death was announced, clips of some of her most iconic interviews have been circulating.

Walters was known for being a trailblazing reporter, breaking the glass ceiling by becoming the first female anchor on a news program in 1976. She was also known for asking tough questions, sometimes making her interview subjects uncomfortable. 

Let’s take a look at five of her most iconic interviews. 

 Monica Lewinsky

Walters landed the first sit-down interview with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky after news of her affair with then-President Bill Clinton was made public the year before. In one memorable moment from the interview, Walters asked Lewinsky what she would tell her children when she had them.

“Mommy made a big mistake,” Lewinsky answered, to which Walters quipped: “And that is the understatement of the year.”

The two became friends and stayed in touch for roughly 25 years. Lewinsky posted a tribute to the late journalist on Twitter, where she revealed the last time they saw each other was “for lunch a few years ago.”

Mariah Carey

Mariah Carey sat down with Walters in January of 2013 amidst her beef with rapper Nicki Minaj. The two served as judges on “American Idol,” with Carey alleging that Minaj threatened to shoot her after they got into a heated argument during an audition, which Minaj denied.

During the sit-down, Walters asked Cary if she was the subject of the line “I’m quick to check a b*tch if she is out of line” in her song, “Hell Yeah.” Walters asks her if she is the b*tch the rapper is referring to. 

“Don’t know. Don’t know what she’s singing,” the Queen of Shade replied. “I didn’t know she sang. I thought she rapped. Or whatever.”

an iconic moment in pop culture history… RIP to the legend, Barbara Walters 👑 pic.twitter.com/kRmN9MUZXd

— Frank Costa (@feistyfrank) December 31, 2022

Donald Trump

Long before he became President of the United States, Donald Trump sat down for an interview with Walters, where she once again asked some tough questions. 

Walters pointed out that he was on the “verge of bankruptcy” and “skating on thin ice.” 

“You say on the verge of bankruptcy,” Trump countered. Walters revealed that she had spoken to some of Trump’s bankers and that the only way he had a chance was to sell the Plaza.

Barbara Walters knew Donald Trump was a FRAUD.pic.twitter.com/p53dyt2iMA

— Don Winslow (@donwinslow) December 31, 2022

The Kardashians

After news of Walters’ death broke, clips of her interview with the Kardashian family quickly began circulating on the internet. The journalist famously asked Kris, Kim, Khloe, and Kourtney about their lack of talent. 

“You’re famous. You don’t really act. You don’t sing. You don’t dance,” she told them. “You don’t really have any…forgive me…any talent.”

https://twitter.com/itswolfgangruth/status/1609019346998759428?s=20&t=6Ht42qk9bN27b97IZmoVIg

Oprah Winfrey 

Walters brought Oprah to tears by asking the talk show host about her relationship with Gayle King. The question led to Oprah putting any rumors to bed about her relationship with King or her sexuality.

“I’m not a lesbian. I’m not even kind of a lesbian,” she explained. “And the reason why it irritates me is because it means that somebody must think I’m lying. That’s number one. Number two: why would you want to hide it? That is not the way I run my life.”