Barbara Walters' biographer reveals late TV icon's final words 8 months after her death at 93
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK: According to her biography titled 'The Rulebreaker: The Life and Times of Barbara Walters', the iconic broadcast journalist's final words were "No regrets — I had a great life."
Walters died on December 30, 2022 at age 93. Now, eight months later, Barbara Walters' final moments are being revealed by her biographer, Susan Page.
Page, USA Today's Washington bureau chief, told Axios that she had started interviewing Walters for the biography two years ago.
The result of Page shadowing Walters over years means 'The Rulebreaker' will offer unique insights about the pioneering ABC News interviewer.
When will Barbara Walters' biography be released?
Walters' biography penned by Page will be released in April 2024. According to a statement by publisher Simon & Schuster, the book is "the definitive biography of the most successful female broadcaster of all time … whose personal demons fueled an ambition that broke all the rules."
Eight years after Walters retired from her illustrious career that revolutionized the broadcast journalism field, she died at her home in New York.
Before she left 'The View' where she worked for 17 seasons, Walters struggled with several ailments.
In the 2019 book 'Ladies Who Punch: The Explosive Insider Story of 'The View,' Variety co-editor-in-chief Ramin Setoodeh wrote, "One day, just as the show ended, she collapsed into the arms of a stage manager."
"She had to be taken to the greenroom, where they laid her down on a sofa. The staff called the paramedics," he continued.
Following her retirement, Walters maintained a private life and made her final public appearance in 2016 when she was at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre in New York City to attend the opening night of 'The Father'.
Where is Barbara Walter's final resting place?
Page also revealed Walters' final resting place. "Barbara was buried, as she had wished, next to [family members] at Lakeside Memorial Park in Miami."
The gravesite of the former 'Today' host features her name, years of her birth and death, and also her final words.
"She lived her life with no regrets. She was a trailblazer not only for female journalists but for all women," Walter's publicist Cindi Berger said in a statement.
Expressing similar sentiments, Disney CEO Bob Iger had said, "Barbara was a true legend, a pioneer not just for women in journalism but for journalism itself."
"She was a one-of-a-kind reporter who landed many of the most important interviews of our time, from heads of state to the biggest celebrities and sports icons," Iger said in a statement issued on Friday, September 1.
"I had the pleasure of calling Barbara a colleague for more than three decades, but more importantly, I was able to call her a dear friend. She will be missed by all of us at The Walt Disney Company, and we send our deepest condolences to her daughter, Jacqueline," read the statement.