It looks like Barbara Walters didn't want to retire, according to Lisa Ling.
The journalist, who served as a co-host on The View from 1999-2002, revealed a conversation she had with the star on her last day on the show.
“‘Barbara, in a couple of months, are you going to be lounging in a hammock in Tahiti?’” Ling recalled asking Walters, who died in December 2022, when the cameras were off.
“And [Walters] just leaned over and whispered, ‘They’re making me quit,’” the CNN host claimed.
Ling, 49, added that she has “never shared this with anyone.”
Walters created The View in 1997 and co-hosted the round table for 17 seasons. She remained an executive producer until her death.
After stepping away from the series, Walters shared how she was going to spend her days now that she didn't have to be on set.
"I'm going to lounge in bed until 3 in the afternoon," Walters told ABC News, adding that she planned on going to Berlin with a friend.
"I don't know what my life is going to be when it is unscheduled!" Walters added. "I'll have to get used to it, but it sounds like a very good idea. I have always had a schedule. I've always had deadlines. I've always had things to do. It will be nice to get up and say, 'What do I have to do today? Nothing!'"
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At the time, her celebrity friends took time to honor Walters for paving the way for other female journalists.
"I want to be remembered as having inspired other young women to go into this business and to succeed. I've said it before and I mean it: They are my legacy," she said. "I have interviews I'm extremely proud of and some of them may even be one of a kind, but the lasting impact is the women who have, I hope, followed in my footsteps."
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As OK! previously reported, Walters passed away in December 2022.
Bob Iger, Chief Executive Officer of Disney, confirmed the news at the time.
"Barbara was a true legend, a pioneer not just for women in journalism but for journalism itself. She was a one-of-a-kind reporter who landed many of the most important interviews of our time, from heads of state and leaders of regimes to the biggest celebrities and sports icons. I had the pleasure of calling Barbara a colleague for more than three decades, but more importantly, I was able to call her a dear friend. She will be missed by all of us at The Walt Disney Company, and we send our deepest condolences to her daughter, Jacqueline," Iger said.
The Cut spoke with Ling.
