HEALTHJenny McCarthy Witnessed the 'Beginning Stages' of Barbara Walters' Dementia on 'The View': 'I Was Like, Oh S---'
Jenny McCarthy noticed Barbara Walters' memory problems before her dementia diagnosis was revealed.
Though Jenny McCarthy was only on The View from 2013 to 2014, the star admitted she witnessed co-host Barbara Walters' memory decline during that time frame.
The actress opened up on seeing some of the first signs of Walters' dementia diagnosis in a preview for the upcoming episode of Maria Menounos' "Heal Squad" podcast.
Jenny McCarthy recalled witnessing the first signs of Barbara Walters' dementia.
The blonde beauty recalled that not long after Walters interviewed Katy Perry, McCarthy mentioned her on an episode of the talk series, to which Walters asked, "Who's Katy Perry?"
"It was the first sign that I realized that Barbara was suffering from the beginning stages of dementia," the actress spilled. "I was like, ‘Oh s---.'"
That being said, the mom-of-one noted Walters — who died at age 93 in 2022 — was a politics guru and "didn't know pop culture."
The journalist retired from the talk show in 2014.
As OK! reported, former co-host Lisa Ling claimed producers forced the journalist to "quit" the program in 2014 even though she was the creator of the show and had been on it since its 1997 inception.
Walters didn't publicly express her disappointment in being ousted and instead shared her excitement to have some newfound free time.
"I'm going to lounge in bed until 3 in the afternoon," she quipped in an interview of her post-retirement plans.
"I don't know what my life is going to be when it is unscheduled!" Walters confessed. "I'll have to get used to it, but it sounds like a very good idea. I have always had a schedule. I've always had deadlines. I've always had things to do. It will be nice to get up and say, 'What do I have to do today? Nothing!'"
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Walters claimed she was forced to exit the series despite being its creator.
In that same chat, the TV star revealed she wanted to be "remembered as having inspired other young women to go into this business and to succeed."
"I've said it before and I mean it: They are my legacy," Walters stated. "I have interviews I'm extremely proud of and some of them may even be one of a kind, but the lasting impact is the women who have, I hope, followed in my footsteps."
Walters passed away in 2022 at age 93.
Walters passed away in her New York home in December 2022.
In the first episode of The View after her death, Whoopi Goldberg and her costars honored the icon.
"Tributes are pouring in from around the world to celebrate the life of Barbara Walters and today we are remembering our friend and colleague — and the reason why we are all sitting here," Goldberg said. "If not for her, I don’t know where most of us would b."
Us Weekly obtained the preview of Menounos' podcast episode with McCarthy.
