EXCLUSIVE: The Secret Heartbreak Barbara Walters Took to the Grave – How Iconic TV Host Was Never Able to Mend Relationship With Her Own Daughter Before Her Death at 93
Barbara Walters died at 93 without mending her strained relationship with her only daughter.
July 30 2025, Published 6:30 a.m. ET
She grilled presidents, tamed tyrants and made grown men cry on national television – but Barbara Walters never got to have a sit-down heart-to-heart with her own daughter, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Sources said Walters died in 2022 with one deep regret – that she never truly reconciled with her only child, Jacqueline Danforth, now 56.
A Mother's Pain
Jacqueline Danforth's troubled past haunted Barbara Walters until her final days.
"Their bond was frayed for decades," shared a family insider. "Barbara was brilliant at everything – except motherhood."
The iconic newswoman adopted Danforth in 1968, but the girl spiraled into drugs, and Walters literally had to call in a Green Beret to track down her runaway.
Heartbreak To The Grave
A Green Beret once helped track down Walters' runaway daughter Danforth.
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
"She was lost, and Barbara couldn't find her – not emotionally, not spiritually," said the source.
"They'd patch things up for the cameras, but it never lasted. Love doesn't always come with closure."
