Jenny McCarthy faces backlash for claiming she identified early stages of dementia in Barbara Walters

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Jenny McCarthy has sparked controversy after claiming she recognized early signs of dementia in legendary journalist Barbara Walters during their time together on 'The View'.

Adding to the claims, McCarthy, 52, who co-hosted the show from 2013 to 2014, has previously described her tenure alongside Walters as "miserable." 

Jenny McCarthy claims 'The View' shifted from pop culture since Barbara Walters couldn't keep up

In a recent appearance on Maria Menounos' Heal Squad podcast, she alleged that the show’s format was altered because Barbara Walters struggled to keep up with pop culture.

According to McCarthy, she was hired to bring a fresh take on pop culture to the show, but things changed quickly, according to Daily Mail. 

She recalled an incident where she mentioned Katy Perry, whom Walters had interviewed just a week prior, but Walters responded, 'Who’s Katy Perry?'

"It was the first sign that I realized that Barbara was suffering from the beginning stages of dementia. I was like, oh s**t," McCarthy said.

She added, "It was literally not even a week into the show. They were like, 'We're flipping it. There's no more pop culture. We're going back to politics.' [Barbara] knew politics, but she didn’t know pop culture."

"I panicked because I don’t consider myself a political person," McCarthy admitted. "My controversy is in vaccines. I know I’m not talking about that every day. Now I had to figure out. Am I coming out as a Republican or a Democrat? Where do I stand on all the social issues and political issues?"

Walters retired from 'The View' in 2014 after 16 seasons, and while there were rumors about her health in later years, it was never confirmed whether she had dementia before her death in December 2022 at the age of 93.

Jenny McCarthy faces flak from fans

Jenny McCarthy’s remarks were met with swift criticism from fans, who accused her of making unfounded medical claims.

One fan wrote, "Go away Jenny you are a nobody trying to get noticed by insulting a dead woman."

Another added, "Go away McCarthy you are a loser to bring up her after she is dead she knew you were a dummy even if she was older you have no talent quit talking about other women."

Someone else noted, "Not sure why this is suddenly an issue. In the US many guests from the View told similar encounters with Ms Walters near the end of her run. She was a great journalist. Let her rest in peace."

A follower remarked, "Jenny is still bitter after all these years."

Another said, "That's not a 100 percent sign of dementia. Barbara met so many people in the course of a week. It would be easy to forget the name of some unimportant pop star."

Another observed, "Barbara is rolling over seeing how terrible the show has become."

As one person explained, "Wow Jenny is confusing advanced age with dementia. Hey newsflash names come and go when you're a senior."

Past controversies between Jenny McCarthy and Barbara Walters

This isn’t the first time Jenny McCarthy has made claims about Barbara Walters. In Ramin Setoodeh’s 2019 book 'Ladies Who Punch: Inside Story of 'The View', Jenny McCarthy alleged that Barbara Walters frequently yelled at her and micromanaged her wardrobe choices, making her tenure miserable.

"Imagine a woman like Barbara Walters. It's her last year, and she doesn’t want to leave. Think about that. And I’m the new b***h there," she said in the book.

McCarthy also claimed Walters made her flush a tampon while on 'The View,' saying, "I'll take one for the team and I'll flush it."

She then revealed that Walters would instruct her to change outfits before going on air.

"Barbara would check out what I was wearing. If she didn't agree with it, or it didn't complement her outfit, I had to change," she recalled.

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