Barbara Walters is apologizing for the awkward circumstances surrounding a 2011 Katy Perry interview.
Barbara had named Katy one of her 10 Most Fascinating People of 2011. During that time the pop star’s marriage to Russell Brand was on the rocks. Brand filed for divorce two weeks after the interview.
In an interview with Billboard, the “Roar” singer expressed regret for doing the interview with Walters. Due to personal stress, she was out of sorts, and ended up being late. As she explained, “I’d prepped everyone that I was running late, but Barbara showed up at the original time anyway. When I got there, I apologized immediately, but then she said to me, ‘You know, I’ve only ever waited for one other person this long, and you know who that person was? Judy Garland. You know how she turned out, right?’ I was like, ‘Oh, snap! Yes, bitch!'”
Still, Katy is willing to cut Barbara some slack over the comment. “I think it’s the coolest thing that Barbara Walters shaded me. I just couldn’t tell her as we were sitting down for a mega-interview, ‘Hey, my marriage is falling apart. Give me a break.'”
Unbeknownst to Barbara, Katy’s divorce took such an emotional toll that she had contemplated suicide. Yesterday on “The View,” the 84-year-old journalist apologized. “Katy, if I made you feel at all unhappy, during a time when you were obviously unhappy, and I didn’t know, I’m sorry. But you can’t always know!”
The veteran journalist has had her share of awkward on-camera moments lately. Here’s a look at some of Barbara’s other cringe-worthy moments.
5. Barbara Tells the Kardashians They Have ‘No Talent’
In 2011, Babs experienced some backlash when she named the Kardashian family on her list of Most Fascinating People. However, during the interview, she did manage to express what some viewers were probably thinking.
“You are all often described as famous for being famous. You don’t really act, you don’t sing, you don’t dance. You don’t have any, forgive me, any talent.”
Kim responded, “I think it’s more of a challenge to go on a reality show and get people to fall in love with you for being you. So there is definitely a lot more pressure to be famous for being ourselves.”
However, Khloe seemed to agree with Barbara. “None of us think we have talent. None of us could sing, or act, or dance.”
4. Barbara Asks the Obamas How They Keep the Fire Going
In a 2012 post-election interview, Babs asked Barack and Michelle Obama how they “keep the fire going” in their marriage. After an awkward pause, the president offered a family-friendly response. “We’ve been married now 20 years, and like every marriage, I think you have your ups and your downs. But if you work through the tough times, the respect and love that you feel deepens.”
3. Barbara Talks To Bristol Palin About Sex
In a 2011 interview, Babs asked Bristol about losing her virginity to Levi Johnson. Her most awkward comment? “It must have been okay then, because you kept having sex with him.”
When Bristol explained that she wasn’t planning to have sex again until she’s married, Babs asked what would happen if she didn’t find anyone she was really crazy about until she was 30. Bristol responded by saying that she would wait for that special someone.
2. Barbara Asks Chris Christie If He’s Too Fat To Be President
Babs certainly isn’t afraid to “go there.” Although she felt “very uncomfortable” doing so, she asked the New Jersey governor why he was overweight. He answered, “if I could figure it out, I would fix it.”
The journalist expressed concern that his weight and health could potentially hinder his ability to serve as a president. He responded, “that’s ridiculous. I don’t know what the basis for that is … I’ve done this job pretty well, and I think people watched me for the last number of weeks during Hurricane Sandy doing 18-hour days and getting right back up the next day and still being just as effective in the job. So I don’t really think that would be a problem.”
1. Barbara Pushes the Issue About Ricky Martin’s Sexual Orientation
In 2010, the ABC journalist expressed regret for aggressively asking questions about Ricky’s sexual orientation in a 2000 interview.
As she explained, “In 2000, I pushed Ricky Martin very hard to admit if he was gay or not, and the way he refused to do it made everyone decide that he was. A lot of people say that destroyed his career, and when I think back on it now I feel it was an inappropriate question.”
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