Oprah Winfrey shared how her perception of Barbara Walters’ complex relationship with her daughter, Jacqueline Dena Guber, influenced her decision to remain childfree.

“Barbara once told me, ‘There’s nothing more fulfilling than having children,’ and urged me to consider it,” Winfrey recounted in her new documentary, “Barbara Walters Tell Me Everything,” debuting at Tribeca.

“I told her, ‘I see you, and your relationship with Jacqueline, and that’s enough for me,’” she added, describing Walters’ bond with her adopted daughter as “charged” and “complex.”

6

“And I understand why. That’s one of the reasons I never had children,” she added.

Her documentary examines Walters’ troubled relationship with Jacqueline, who she adopted in 1968 with her ex-husband Lee Guber, through Walters’ own words and archival footage.

Walters’ career ambitions often strained her bond with Jacqueline, leaving her with feelings of guilt.

“I didn’t realize how tough it was, especially since Jacqueline had a mother who was a celebrity,” Walters’ voiceover explained. “We had struggles with school, and at 16, she ran away.”

6

She expressed that she often felt she made mistakes as a mother.

Walters, who passed away at 93 in 2022, and Jacqueline tried to rebuild their relationship as she matured, but it remained fragile for years.

“As Jacqueline grew older, Barbara sensed the relationship had become distant. She didn’t share many details, but it seemed they had drifted apart again,” McFadden noted.

6

Walters’ friend Cynthia McFadden clarified that Jacqueline was not left alone, as she had a father and a governess, which softened her perception of Walters’ maternal role.

Walters herself often admitted to making errors in her motherhood approach.

After her death, Walters and Jacqueline’s relationship remained strained, though they made efforts to reconcile during Jacqueline’s adulthood. McFadden observed that Walters felt their bond was “shaky.”

6

In 2017, Winfrey expressed no regret over not having children, believing her influence extended globally. She told Good Housekeeping UK, “I don’t regret my choice. I am a mother to the world’s children.”

“Love transcends biological boundaries. Whether from your womb or found at any age, the essence of true love and care remains the same,” she emphasized.

“Barbara Walters Tell Me Everything” streams on Hulu starting June 23.