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Rosie O’Donnellis honoringBarbara Waltersfollowing her death.
After the pioneering reporterdied on Friday at the age of 93, the comedianposted a video on her Instagramto pay tribute to Walters, noting that she was “very sad” to hear about the news. The two worked together onThe View, which Walters created, from 2006 to 2007.
“What a long and eventful legendary life she had,” O’Donnell, 60, continued, remembering the newscaster’s longevity. “Spoke to every prominent world leader in memory, interviewed everyone who’s anyone, and I was lucky enough to be in her orbit for a good many years.”
Reflecting on the time they had spent together, O’Donnell added, “We saw a lot of Broadway shows together, and whenever we go backstage, I’d, like, try to help her, you know, over the steps backstage and she would always smack my hand and tell me to leave her alone. She [knew] what she was doing I could tell you that.”
“May she rest in peace and may everyone remember just what barriers she broke down for women,” she concluded. “She really did, she was the first, and will always be remembered.”
O’Donnell and Walters had a fair share of ups and downs in their friendship throughout the years.
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At the time, a spokesperson for the show told PEOPLE, “From the first day Rosie spoke about Donald Trump, Barbara has been nothing but supportive of Rosie. Whatever happened in the hair and makeup room was only a squabble. It’s business as usual. Everyone has moved on.”
However, in Ramin Setoodeh’s book aboutThe View,Ladies Who Punch, the author detailed O’Donnell and Walters' extended falling out, which stemmed from tensions on set and the release of O’Donnell’s book,Celebrity Detox. Reportedly upset with her portrayal in the tome, Walters arranged to have a portion of the book leaked to theNew York Post— asking the outlet toinclude a psychologist evaluationof O’Donnell’s mental health in its coverage.
RELATED VIDEO: Barbara Walters, Legendary Broadcaster and Creator of ‘The View,’ Dead at 93
The article came out in September 2007 and featured a psychiatrist calling O’Donnell"full of rage," suggesting she “dishes out anger mostly to women because of deep-seated abandonment issues over her mother’s death.” The piece also included a statement from Walters, in which she called O’Donnell’s memoir a “sad book, but I prefer to focus on the happier times we had and the happier times we hope to have in the future.”
“She lived her life with no regrets,” Berger’s statement continued. “She was a trailblazer not only for female journalists, but for all women.”
source: people.com
