Tragic End: Barbara Walters Suffering 'Advanced' Dementia, Can't Recognize Friends
Mar. 20 2019, Updated 7:42 p.m. ET
Amid Jenny McCarthy's bombshell tell-all about her former View boss Barbara Walters' erratic behavior, RadarOnline.com can exclusively report the TV legend's dementia is so advanced, she no longer recognizes her closest friends — and the tragic end could be near.
Whoopi Goldberg recently paid a visit to her former co-host, but 89-year-old Walters couldn't remember her at all, an insider claimed.
And even worse, Goldberg's presence triggered a screaming fit from the reclusive star, the insider said.
"Barbara's eyes were opened wide, and she was terrified," the insider spilled. "Barbara screamed: 'Who is she? Get out, get out! Help me! Get out.'"
"She wouldn't stop. No one could calm her down. Whoopi excused herself from the room. She was heartbroken by what she saw."
And while a rep for the veteran journalist said Walters is doing fine, the insider revealed her dementia is now at such a stage that insiders fear she could die any day.
Walters' loved ones have been making subtle arrangements for visitors, and devoted friends have been saying their final farewells.
The insider added: "The family is hoping the sight of familiar faces brings her some comfort in her final stretch. They have not said anything specific about the end, but many of the meetings have been solemn and teary."
But others are worried about the reach of the icon's inner circle — with some regulars suddenly being shut out by a mysterious "butler" who controls the star's affairs.
"It's driving her pals crazy. But he's a trusted member of Barbara's team who has known her for years," another source said.
"One of her beauty regulars who used to go over every day when she was on TV hasn't been allowed to see her now in over a year. The butler will not allow anyone in. Barbara had beautiful hair, and now it's thin and white and just pulled back into a ponytail."
"She's in a wheelchair at home and spends most of the day looking out of her windows. It's all very sad."
According to Vulture, former View cohost McCarthy accused Walters of alternating between screaming at her and being loving and kind during their time together on the show before the star's retirement.
In one incident, McCarthy said Walters forgot who she was, and asked, "Who is Jenny McCarthy?"
McCarthy's stories will appear in Ramin Setoodeh's upcoming expose Ladies Who Punch: The Explosive Inside Story of The View.