Oprah Winfrey says Barbara Walters is ‘one of the reasons' she never had children: 'I'm looking at you'

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Oprah Winfrey has opened up about a deeply personal decision, revealing that the late Barbara Walters played a surprising role in her choice not to have children.

Speaking in new documentary ‘Barbara Walters Tell Me Everything', Winfrey shared how her longtime friend once urged her to embrace motherhood, but instead, their conversation became a defining moment in Oprah's decision to remain child-free. 

Walters, a trailblazing journalist whose legendary career began in the 1960s on NBC’s 'Today' show, left an unexpected mark not just on media, but on Oprah's life path as well.

Oprah Winfrey reveals how Barbara Walters influenced her decision on motherhood

In the film premiering Thursday night at the Tribeca Film Festival and set to stream on Hulu beginning June 23, Oprah Winfrey reflects on a personal moment with the late Barbara Walters.

She recalled Walters once encouraged her to consider motherhood, despite Walters' own complicated relationship with her daughter.

“I remember her telling me once that there’s nothing more fulfilling than having children, and ‘You should really think about it,'” Winfrey shared. “And I was like, ‘OK, but I’m looking at you, so, no.’”

Describing Walters’ relationship with her daughter as “charged” and “complex,” Winfrey added, “And I can see why. It’s one of the reasons why I never had children," as per DailyMail.

Oprah Winfrey says she has no regrets about not having children

Winfrey has been candid over the years about her decision not to marry or have children. Despite being in a long-term relationship with Stedman Graham since 1986, the couple chose not to walk down the aisle—a decision Oprah says she has never regretted.

In a past interview with People magazine, the media mogul reflected on her choice to remain child-free. "I have not had one regret about that," she said, emphasizing the self-awareness and intentionality behind the decision.

Winfrey explained that hosting 'The Oprah Winfrey Show' gave her a profound understanding of the emotional demands of motherhood.

"Doing the Oprah show allowed me to see the depth of responsibility and sacrifice that is actually required to be a mother," she shared.

Through thousands of deeply personal conversations with guests, she came to a sobering realization: "I realized, 'Whoa, I'm talking to a lot of messed-up people, and they are messed up because they had mothers and fathers who were not aware of how serious that job is.'"

What is the new Barbara Walters documentary about?

Barbara Walters, who died in December 2022 at the age of 93 due to dementia-related complications, adopted her daughter Jacqueline Dena Guber in 1968 with then-husband Lee Guber.

Their once-close bond unraveled as Jacqueline grew older - an emotional thread that is explored in the new documentary 'Barbara Walters: Tell Me Everything', which traces both the iconic journalist’s groundbreaking career and the personal sacrifices it entailed.

The film reveals that Walters' relentless drive for professional success deeply affected her daughter’s upbringing, as per DailyBeast.

In a poignant voiceover, Walters admits to feeling “guilty” for much of Jacqueline’s life, acknowledging the challenges of being raised by a high-profile mother. “I didn’t realize how tough it was,” she says. “Because she had a mother who was a celebrity. We struggled through schools. And then finally, at one point, when she was 16, I guess, she ran away."

Walters’ ambition, and the emotional toll it took on Jacqueline, is a recurring theme in the film. Those closest to her recall that Jacqueline’s teenage years were particularly difficult.

Though Walters and Jacqueline eventually repaired parts of their relationship, close friend Cynthia McFadden notes that tensions remained.

“As she got older, I think Barbara felt that the relationship was shaky,” McFadden reflects in the film. “She didn’t tell me enough of the facts to make me understand why she felt that way, but it seemed to me that she felt that she and Jackie had fallen out again.”