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- Barbara Walters has been married three times
- She has just one daughter, Jacqueline, with her second husband Lee Guber
- She wed her third husband Merv Adelson twice: once in 1981 and again in 1986
Barbara Walters, a renowned journalist, has passed away at the age of 93. The sad news was confirmed by her longtime former employer ABC News on Friday, Dec. 30 in an on-air tribute and statement online.
She has interviewed an immeasurable number of celebrities including Donald Trump, Tom Cruise and Oprah Winfrey, and hosted shows like 20/20 and The Today Show. However, she was best known for creating and starring on The View. She launched the popular all-female daytime talk show in 1997. She lead firey debates on the series until she announced her retirement from television in 2014.
As far as her personal life goes, the journalist and TV personality was married four times. However, she only had four husbands. While this may seem like on of those brain-teasing riddles, there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation. Here’s how Barbara Walters got married four times and everything you need to know about her three husbands.
Robert Henry Katz
Robert Henry Katz was Barbara’s first husband. He has had a fulfilling life as a former Navy lieutenant and business executive. He and Barbara got married on June 20, 1955, at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. She was just 26 years old at the time and her career in journalism hadn’t taken off yet. Unfortunately, their marriage didn’t last long. They filed for divorce in 1957 and had their marriage annulled in 1958.
Lee Guber
Lee Guber was Barbara’s second husband. Lee was also involved in the entertainment industry as a theatrical producer and theater owner. They wed on December 8, 1963, as Barbara was in the early stages of her journey at NBC’s The Today Show. A few years into their marriage, they explored the option of having children. Unfortunately, they struggled to have a child on their own biologically which lead them down the path of adoption. When their friends who were looking to adopt a boy were offered a girl, Barbara and Lee jumped at the opportunity. They adopted Jacqueline Dena Guber when she was an infant in 1968. Barbara and Lee got divorced after 13 years of marriage in 1976 when their daughter was just eight years old.
Merv Adelson
Merv Adelson is the lucky husband that got to marry Barbara not once but twice. The two met on a blind date that one could say went exceedingly well. Barbara got married to the CEO of Lorimar Television in 1981 as her career was booming and she was getting started on 20/20. The pair ended up divorcing in 1984, the year she landed the co-host spot on 20/20 alongside Hugh Downs.
They attempted to rekindle their relationship and even got married again in 1986. Unfortunately, the second time wasn’t a charm for them and they ended up splitting again in 1992. Barbara, however, didn’t hold their marriages not working out against him. “Merv was a kind and gentle man with a great sense of humor,” Barbara told The New York Times. “We stayed friends long after our marriage.”
Merv was a big name in the entertainment industry aside from dating Barbara. He was known as the mogul behind hit shows like The Waltons and Dallas. However, his ventures weren’t limited to the entertainment industry. He branched out and invested in the idea of a “24-hour market” opening Market Town off the Vegas strip in 1953. He paired up with a man named Molasky to open the Las Vegas Country Club which was funded by mob boss Moe Dalitz. Merv and the rest of them were exposed in 1963’s “The Green Felt Jungle.” Merv insisted to Vanity Fair in 2013.
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