Celebrity

Diane Sawyer Is Still Alive, Despite Online Confusion After Barbara Walters’ Death

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Walt Disney Co. CEO Bob Iger Speaks At The ECNY
Television news journalist Diane Sawyer speaks with Bob Iger, chairman and chief executive officer of Walt Disney Co., not pictured, during an Economic Club of New York event in New York, U.S., on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2019. Iger said he won't say anything for or against pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong because doing so could harm his company. Photographer: Tiffany Hagler-Geard/Bloomberg

The world learned on Dec. 30, 2022 that legendary journalist and former The View host Barbara Walters died at the age of 93. Per ABC News, Walters died in New York City. As of now, no cause of death has been revealed. Walters, the first female co-host of the Today Show, had been living out of public view for years. Speculation about her health in recent years ran rampant. But those close to her kept things private.ย 

She was born in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1929, and attended Sarah Lawrence College. After graduating with a Journalism degree, she began working in the news industry, eventually landing a job with the Today show in the early 1960s as a producer. Walters’ only goal was to be a writer, and soke openly about how she ended up in the broadcast world by chance.

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She later went on to appear on the ABC Evening News, sparking controversy for leaving NBC for ABC and her $1 million salary at the time. But she didn’t let it stop her, despite her own doubts. She also made a name for herself on the series 20/20, where she sat down for many iconic celebrity and political interviews.

In 1997, Walters created The View, which has since gone on to become one of the biggest daytime talk shows of all time. She left the series in 2014.

As tributes pour in for Walters, some confuse her with another iconic female journalist: Diane Sawyer. Sawyer, who is very much alive, began trending on social media. And fans had to remind each other that Sawyer and Walters are not the same person.

The confusion

Sometimes, all you can do is laugh. And in this moment, laughter seemed to be the best bet.

Makes no sense

Others simply don’t understand the mix-up. The only resemblance is that of them having the same profession.

Must be generational

The two women are equally as important in their reporting. But many of the tweets mixing the two up are definitely from younger social media users.

Trending for what?

Sawyer was trending for all the wrong reasons. One Twitter user opted to make light of the situation for a good laugh.

Not one in the same

Sawyer and Walters both had an impressive resume. But they are very much two different people.

Whitney Houston’s infamous moment

While Walters’ interviews with celebrities were iconic, Sawyer’s wasn’t too far behind, especially her 2002 interview with Whitney Houston, who hadn’t sat and spoke with the medis for some time. To promote her album Just Whitney, the singer sat with Sawyer to clear up rumors of drug addiction and a troubled marriage. But Houston wouldn’t back down. Many remember the clip, and one had to be reminded it was Sawyer who conducted the interview and not Walters.

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