Inside Diane Sawyer And Charlie Gibson's Rumored Feud
Whatever happened between Diane Sawyer and Charlie Gibson? Word of Gibson's retirement from ABC's "World News" in 2009 quickly fueled rumors of a feud between the two anchors. The root of the buzz stemmed from a Page Six report quoting sources that said Gibson was "livid" Sawyer would be filling the role he was leaving, and that, "Charlie has always given Diane the stink eye. He bad-mouths her openly and often." Shortly after this report, ABC News dismissed these musings as nonsense, per Insider, with a spokesman sharing that the two got "along just fine."
The idea of network and anchor disputes involving Sawyer are not far-fetched, as her feud with fellow journalist Katie Couric bubbled over years of competition as they both tried to secure the best scoop and earn better ratings than one another, per Vanity Fair. But does this mean all of Sawyer's work relationships are hostile? According to HuffPost, at the time, ABC News President David Westin spoke against claims of Gibson feeling shocked over Sawyer's appointment because, since as early as he could recall, any discussion of Gibson's retirement always included the mention of Sawyer as the likely successor. If true, what fueled these rumors in the first place?
Charlie Gibson's responds to the feud rumors
Shortly after Charlie Gibson shared the news of his retirement with colleagues and on his nightly broadcast, Daily Beast's Rebecca Dana noted that, because he did not make a "direct reference to [Diane] Sawyer" in his official statement, this somehow supported claims that he was disappointed.
Many looked a little too deeply into the fact that, because his farewell broadcast did not wish "good luck" to whoever followed in his footsteps, that this was an intentional diss of Sawyer's promotion, per Daily News. In reality, not all on-air farewells include a message to the next anchor, instead focusing on gratitude for personal opportunity, as Gibson expressed.
When speaking on the feud speculation, Gibson was straightforward in debunking the reports from Page Six. "This notion that there is some kind of enmity that exists between Diane and me is just silly. We worked together for over seven years, side-by-side ... We laughed together, cried together (particularly during the time after 9/11), and developed a strong mutual bond."
Inside Diane Sawyer's transition at ABC
According to ABC News, President David Westin made it clear in a statement that Diane Sawyer was the right person for the job, praising her career in journalism, particularly the varied nature of subjects and segments that she had covered and her success at "Good Morning America." So, if the boss approved of the choice and Gibson was on board, how did Sawyer feel about the transition?
"There is no one like Charlie Gibson and it is an enormous honor to be asked to join the terrific broadcast he and the great team of journalists have built at 'World News,'" she shared in a statement. It truly seems that this situation was far more of a positive change than rumored.
Beyond this moment in her career, Sawyer has been praised for many breakthrough interviews, at times interrogating public figures like Mel Gibson about his DUI and anti-Semitic remarks in 2006 (per Deadline). However, this approach has also led to more modern criticism of some segments, namely a 2004 Britney Spears interview where the serious journalist made the young pop star cry on camera during a difficult spell. Only time will tell how the rest of Sawyer's legacy will be perceived.