How many times was Barbara Walters married? All about the husbands

Barbara Walters, who was an innovative television journalist and changed the face of broadcast journalism, was married three times—but only to two men. Along with her impressive career in journalism, Walters was known for her distinct voice and her intriguing private life. She and her husband had a very complicated relationship with lots of ups and downs. This dynamic was explored in the new Hulu documentary Barbara Walters: Tell Me Everything, which first aired at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 12, 2025.

In 1955, the notable newswoman married business executive Robert Henry Katz. This marriage was brief, lasting only 11 months before an annulment. Walters married again in 1963, to theatrical producer and Broadway impresario Lee Guber. They adopted a daughter together, Jacqueline, in 1968 but divorced in 1976. In a storyline that intrigued many of her fans, Walters married TV producer Merv Adelson two times—first in 1981, then again in 1986 after a brief separation. Their second attempt also ended in divorce, this time for good, in 1992.

Thinking about her relationships, Walters stated in an interview featured in the Hulu documentary:

“I don’t think that I was very good at marriage. It may be that my career was just too important… I wasn’t willing — perhaps — to give that much.”

While remaining a constant supporter of women in journalism and the media, she was frank about the sacrifices that came with her pioneering achievement.

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Robert Henry Katz: Barbara Walters' brief first marriage

Barbara Walters tied the knot with her first spouse, Navy lieutenant and businessman Robert Henry Katz, on June 20, 1955, in New York’s Plaza Hotel. She was only 26 and had not yet launched her career in journalism. She used to refer to him as “Katz Hats” because of his family’s millinery business. As Walters confessed, he was quite dull.

But she went forth with the marriage simply to make her father happy. As it turned out, that partnership ended up being short-lived. The two separated in 1957, and the marriage was annulled a year later. Looking back, Walters shared that she felt heavy-hearted even on her wedding day—a feeling that seemed to shadow many of her romantic pursuits.

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Lee Guber: Parenthood, adoption & professional tensions

Barbara Walters’ second husband was the theatrical producer and entertainment businessman Lee Guber. They got married on December 8, 1963, when Walters was beginning to gain traction on NBC’s Today show. While their marriage endured for over a decade, from 1963 to 1976, the pair struggled with personal issues—especially concerning starting a family.

After three miscarriages, she and Guber adopted Jacqueline Dena Guber, their only child, in 1968. “Oh, I adore my daughter,” Walters exclaimed in 2014. Yet despite the immense love she had for Jacqueline, she expressed deep regret over the workaholic lifestyle that impacted her relationship with her daughter.

“I wish I had spent more time with my Jackie,” she shared in Barbara Walters: Her Story.

Guber passed away in 1988 due to brain cancer. Regardless of the end of their marriage, that portion of her life had a profound influence on Walters. It shaped her both as a mother and as a public figure balancing demanding professional roles.

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Merv Adelson: Love rekindled, twice

Merv Adelson, a television executive and CEO of Lorimar Television, is best known as Barbara Walters’ third and final husband. The two met on a blind date and were married in 1981. Their relationship mirrored the on-again, off-again plotlines of some of Adelson’s famous productions, like Dallas and The Waltons. They divorced in 1984, remarried in 1986, and then split again for good in 1992.

Even with all the back and forth, Walters described Adelson as “a kind and gentle man with a great sense of humor” in her divorce. He passed away in 2015 after battling cancer. In her Master Class interview, Walters admitted that her career was a contributing factor toward her divorces. She was often drawn toward ambitious, successful men and found herself competing for the same level of success in her own life. Reflecting on this, she remarked:

“Marriages like that seem to work… maybe if he were also very busy.”

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A life bigger than romance

Barbara Walters died on December 30, 2022, at the age of 93. While she will forever be remembered for shaping the field of journalism, her life was filled with love, disappointments, and deep reflections as complex as her career. Although her marriages did not succeed, her frankness about them helped Walters—and many others—in accepting the disillusionment of the so-called ‘having it all’ myth.

Barbara Walters’ memoir revealed the many sides of her life, accepting both triumphs and regrets—like the emotional burden of motherhood and a career. Like many other women, Barbara Walters made personal choices that reflected her priorities at the time. And as she quoted:

“On your deathbed, are you going to say, ‘I wish I spent more time in the office?’ No. You’ll say, ‘I wish I spent more time with my family.’ And I do feel that way.”

Her voice resonated for decades not only as the face of news, but as a story of humanity that many could relate to. She left behind a legacy that blends professional excellence with personal honesty.