Barbara Walters’ final words and resting place revealed in new biography of iconic journalist – 8 months after her death aged 93

Barbara Walters’ final words and resting place have been revealed in a new biography – eight months after her death at age 93.

The iconic journalist – who passed away on Dec. 30, 2022 – said “No regrets – I had a great life” with the words etched on her tombstone, according to the new book The Rulebreaker: The Life and Times of Barbara Walters, written by the USA. Washington bureau chief Susan Page today, per Axios.

Walters was buried next to relatives in Lakeside Memorial Park with a simple plaque bearing her name, dates of birth and death, and her last words.

Walters passed away peacefully surrounded by loved ones at her New York home, said Bob Iger, the CEO of The Walt Disney Company, the parent company of ABC News, her former employer.

Walters made headlines in 1976 when she joined ABC News as the first female news anchor for an evening news program, earning an unprecedented $1 million salary. She co-hosted ’20/20′ and launched ‘The View’ in 1997.

Iconic: The iconic journalist – who passed away on December 30, 2022 – said “No regrets – I had a great life” with the words etched on her tombstone (pictured with Oprah Winfrey in 1999)

She lived her life without regrets. She was a pioneer not only for female journalists, but for all women,” her publicist Cindi Berger said in a statement.

Her drive was legendary as she competed – not just with rival networks, but with colleagues from her own network – for every big ‘get’ in a world filled with more and more interviewers, including female journalists who followed her.

Barbara was a real legend, a pioneer not only for women in journalism, but for journalism itself. She was a unique 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 Friday.

‘I have been able to call Barbara a colleague for over thirty years, but more importantly: I have been able to call her a dear friend. She will be missed by all of us at The Walt Disney Company, and we extend our deepest condolences to her daughter, Jacqueline.”

For nearly four decades at ABC, and before that at NBC, Walters’ exclusive interviews with rulers, royalty, and entertainers propelled her to celebrity status akin to theirs, while placing her at the forefront of the trend that turns TV reporters into stars. made.

At the end of her career, she took infotainment in a new direction with “The View,” a live weekday ABC kaffee klatsch featuring an all-female panel that covered every topic and welcomed guests ranging from world leaders to teen idols. With that side project and unexpected hit, Walters considered “The View” the “dessert” of her career.

Along with Bob Iger, big names such as Oprah, Sir Anthony Hopkins and Dan Rather paid sincere tribute to the TV icon.

Bob Iger, the CEO of The Walt Disney Company, ABC News’ parent company, hailed Barbara Walters as a “true legend” and a pioneer for women in journalism

Walters started at Today in 1961 in a short-term writing position, then became full-time after the only female writer on the show left. She was then a ‘Today Girl’ and a reporter in 1964