Barbara Walters reveals past affair with U.S. senator

[watsayu]

By Frazier Moore, The Associated Press


NEW YORK - After three decades of keeping mum, Barbara Walters is disclosing a past affair with married U.S. Senator Edward Brooke, whom she remembers as "exciting" and "brilliant."


Appearing on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" scheduled to air Tuesday, Walters shares details of her relationship with Brooke that lasted several years in the 1970s, according to a transcript of the show provided to The Associated Press.


A moderate Republican from Massachusetts who took office in 1967, Brooke was the first African-American to be popularly elected to the Senate. Both he and Walters knew that public knowledge of their affair could have ruined his career as well as hers, Walters says.


At the time, the twice-divorced Walters was a rising star in TV news and co-host of NBC's "Today" show, but would soon jump to ABC News, where she has enjoyed unrivalled success. Her affair with Brooke, which never before came to light, had ended before he lost his bid for a third term in 1978.


Brooke later divorced, and has since remarried. Calls to a listing for Brooke in Miami by The Associated Press were not immediately returned Thursday.


Walters is the guest of Oprah Winfrey to discuss her new memoir, "Audition," which covers her long career in television, as well as her off-camera life. On "Oprah," Walters recounts a phone call from a friend who urged her to stop seeing Brooke.


"He said, 'This is going to come out. This is going to ruin your career,"' then reminded her that Brooke was up for re-election a year later. "'This is going to ruin him. You've got to break this off."'


Winfrey asks Walters if she was in love.


"I was certainly - I don't know - I was certainly infatuated."


"Infatuated."


"I was certainly involved," Walters says. "He was exciting. He was brilliant. It was exciting times in Washington."


Also during the program, Walters chokes up while describing the struggles of her older sister Jackie, who was mentally retarded. Walters confesses that, as a child, she sometimes felt embarrassed by Jackie.


"She stuttered terribly. People made fun of her. People made fun of me," Walters says. "I didn't bring friends home. I felt terribly guilty because she was very loving and I didn't always feel that way."


Jackie Walters died in 1985 of ovarian cancer.


"When I think of her, because she was beautiful and loving and all of that, it makes me cry."

[nationbuilder]

BW had jungle fever eh? lol..

[casualobserver]

Anyone find it wierd that she's on Oprah when she's got a show of her own? Why not give the scoop to The View?





or Rosie's blog!

[Tafadhali]

I wouldve never guessed...thought she came of as a square half the time...have new found respect for her! lol

[Yahooey]

like they say once you had black, you dont go back

[GenX]

I wouldve never guessed...thought she came of as a square half the time...have new found respect for her! lol

Not BA_WAH BOL. I never knew she had human feeling BOL.

[Kuegn]

I'm wondering why she's on Oprah, bragging about being an adulterer.

Well, that's as much as it matters to me.

[The Exotic One]

By Frazier Moore, The Associated Press
NEW YORK - After three decades of keeping mum, Barbara Walters is disclosing a past affair with married U.S. Senator Edward Brooke, whom she remembers as "exciting" and "brilliant."
Appearing on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" scheduled to air Tuesday, Walters shares details of her relationship with Brooke that lasted several years in the 1970s, according to a transcript of the show provided to The Associated Press.
A moderate Republican from Massachusetts who took office in 1967, Brooke was the first African-American to be popularly elected to the Senate. Both he and Walters knew that public knowledge of their affair could have ruined his career as well as hers, Walters says.
At the time, the twice-divorced Walters was a rising star in TV news and co-host of NBC's "Today" show, but would soon jump to ABC News, where she has enjoyed unrivalled success. Her affair with Brooke, which never before came to light, had ended before he lost his bid for a third term in 1978.
Brooke later divorced, and has since remarried. Calls to a listing for Brooke in Miami by The Associated Press were not immediately returned Thursday.
Walters is the guest of Oprah Winfrey to discuss her new memoir, "Audition," which covers her long career in television, as well as her off-camera life. On "Oprah," Walters recounts a phone call from a friend who urged her to stop seeing Brooke.
"He said, 'This is going to come out. This is going to ruin your career,"' then reminded her that Brooke was up for re-election a year later. "'This is going to ruin him. You've got to break this off."'
Winfrey asks Walters if she was in love.
"I was certainly - I don't know - I was certainly infatuated."
"Infatuated."
"I was certainly involved," Walters says. "He was exciting. He was brilliant. It was exciting times in Washington."
Also during the program, Walters chokes up while describing the struggles of her older sister Jackie, who was mentally retarded. Walters confesses that, as a child, she sometimes felt embarrassed by Jackie.
"She stuttered terribly. People made fun of her. People made fun of me," Walters says. "I didn't bring friends home. I felt terribly guilty because she was very loving and I didn't always feel that way."
Jackie Walters died in 1985 of ovarian cancer.
"When I think of her, because she was beautiful and loving and all of that, it makes me cry."

No big deal here!!! Happens all the time.. especially here in the caribbean..

[Alien]

Anyone find it wierd that she's on Oprah when she's got a show of her own? Why not give the scoop to The View?
or Rosie's blog!

She knows no one watches her show!

[Brown Suga]

What is her motive in revealing this in the autum of her life...

[Alien]

What is her motive in revealing this in the autum of her life...

BOOK, BOOK, BOOK.... a new book deal! She probably does not have the time to write it herself, so she is trying to get a biographer, to tell her story- giving it oral. So to speak!

[Brown Suga]

BOOK, BOOK, BOOK.... a new book deal! She probably does not have the time to write it herself, so she is trying to get a biographer, to tell her story- giving it oral. So to speak!

Interesting "spin"!....cuz she is about 80!

[Brown Suga]

ummm, excuse me, but the article say " she was on Oprah to discuss her Memoirs" ain dat a book?

Chile please...I een read that part! LOL!

[seer]

that info about her and the black gov, even though it may be true, its just the teaser to get people to buy her book. If you want to get Bahamians riled up all you have to do it talk about religion or politics. In the US all you have to talk about is religion, politics and race. he doing a black guy for several years is kindda shocking not to mention career ending for the both of them.

But honestly, what ever you may think of BW, she was a trailblazer for women in a time and industry where women really was not up against a glass ceiling, but a ceiling made out of stone.

[Brown Suga]

Just found this story...this man don't look black to me!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24427573/