Inside The Tense History Between Barbara Walters And Brooke Shields
Barbara Walters died on December 30, 2022 at the age of 93, according to People. She died at her home in New York City and her rep Cindi Berger gave the details. "Barbara Walters passed away peacefully in her home surrounded by loved ones," Berger told People. "She lived a big life. She lived her life with no regrets. She was a trailblazer not only for female journalists, but for all women."
Walters was indeed a trailblazer. She created the talk show "The View," though Walters later decided to leave "The View" on her own terms. When fans were asked in an exclusive Nicki Swift survey which "View" host they'd like to see return, it was a tie between Walters and Meredith Vieira. Obviously, no one could get enough of Walters on screen.
But not every experience with Walters was a delight. She was a talented journalist and wasn't afraid of asking tough questions, but some felt like Walters' questions were inappropriate. Brooke Shields would certainly agree with this, and has spoken out about her bad experience with Walters. Here's a look inside Shields' tense relationship with the legendary journalist.
Brooke Shields called her Barbara Walters interview a 'fiasco'
Brooke Shields once sat down with Barbara Walters for an interview in 1981 and in hindsight, Shields didn't feel like the interview was appropriate. Shields was only 15 at the time of the interview, per TMZ, and Walters asked the youngster for her body measurements and had Shields stand up next to her so viewers could compare.
Shields sat down to discuss the memory on "The Drew Barrymore Show" in November 2022, and both Shields and Barrymore admitted that they admire Walters, but Shields said that the interview was a "fiasco." Shields recalled, "I stand up, and she was like comparing herself to this little girl. And I thought, 'This isn't right. I don't understand what this is.'"
Shields said she didn't have the strength at the time to push back. "But I just behaved and just smiled and felt so taken advantage of," Shields said. The supermodel went on to say that after years in the public eye, Walters certainly wasn't the last person to comment on her or her body. Shields said she did understand that a big part of interviewing is getting the sound bite, so she also understood where Walters may have been coming from.