Did Barbara Walters have a relationship with her daughter? Oprah reveals late media mogul was one of reasons for not having kids

Oprah Winfrey, considered one of the most celebrated hosts, recently opened up about deciding not to have children, seeing Barbara Walters's relationship with her daughter Jacqueline.

The 71-year-old renowned TV personality looked back on the 20/20 co-host and her daughter's equation and understanding the challenge to balance both her demanding career and motherhood.

Barbara's bond with her adopted daughter, Jacqueline, was quite strained. The late host admitted prioritizing her ambitions, further drifting herself from her kid, and missing out on being present as a mother.

In the new Hulu documentary titled Barbara Walters: Tell Me Everything, Winfrey confessed that her "mentor" had a "charged, complex relationship" with Jackie.

As cited by Today, she shared,

"It’s one of the reasons why I never had children. I remember her telling me once that 'there’s nothing more fulfilling than having children, and you should really think about it.' And I was like, 'OK, but I’m looking at you. So, no.'"

Oprah Winfrey spoke about Barbara Walters' impact on her life

Barbara Walters played a pivotal role in shaping both Oprah Winfrey's personal and professional lives. Weighing in on how the late star guided her throughout, The Oprah Winfrey Show creator remarked,

"She was a mentor for me before she knew that she was a mentor."

Admitting she has been watching her mentor since her younger days, the Oprah Prime host disclosed that she acquired a specific way of interviewing guests from watching Walters on-screen.

Discussing the ABC News anchor, Winfrey shared thoughts on the difficult mother-daughter relationship in the recently premiered Hulu documentary.

She closely saw the Today Show co-host navigate motherhood. Realizing how she and the late TV personality had similarly bustling career trajectories, she decided to take a step back from becoming a mother. Their busy professions and the involved urgency came between building a family.

Oprah further continued:

"You are a pioneer in your field, and you are trying to break the mold for yourself and for women who are going to follow you, then something is going to have to give for that. And that is why I did not have children. I knew I could not do both well. Both are sacrifices: Sacrifice to do the work, and it's also a sacrifice to be the mother and to say, 'No, let somebody else have that.'"

Remembering Walters, the Super Soul Sunday host chimed in,

"And at no time have I ever heard a story, read a story, and based on what I know of Barbara Walters, at no time, has Barbara Walters ever said, 'No, let someone else take that story.' No."

During the documentary, Oprah walked down her memory lane and disclosed how the ABC Evening News co-anchor came between her and an esteemed interview in the '90s. Detailing that incident, she recounted how Walters simply "swooped in."

During that time, Barbara was a bigger name, a bigger brand. On the other hand, Oprah could showcase her prominence in her talk show. The Oprah’s Book Club host also admitted that an agreement for the interview existed with Monica Lewinsky's team. However, the project went on to Walters.

Expressing her thoughts, Oprah also elaborated,

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"Because Barbara had been No. 1, she had been it, she had been the madam for so long that she saw that as her rightful place in the space. And if there was something that deserved a special one-on-one interview, I think she felt that she was the one that was supposed to have it. And 9.9 times out of 10 she got it."

On June 12, 2025, Barbara Walters: Tell Me Everything premiered on Hulu.

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