Barbara Walters fans outraged over Jenny McCarthy’s bold claim legendary journalist had dementia
Jenny McCarthy has come under fire after claiming she identified the early stages of dementia in iconic journalist Barbara Walters during their time on The View.
The actress, 52, appeared on the daytime talk show from 2013 to 2014 and has previously claimed she had a ‘miserable’ time during her stint.
When recalling her experience on the latest episode of Maria Menounos’ Heal Squad podcast last week, she claimed that the layout of the long-running daytime show was changed because ‘Barbara was suffering from beginning stages of dementia’ and couldn’t keep up with pop culture news.
However, fans have been left appalled by the former Playboy model’s comments – especially since the TV star has no medical credentials.
One person commented: ‘That’s not a 100 percent sign of dementia. Barbara met so many people in the course of a week. It would be easy to forget the name of some unimportant pop star.’
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Another wrote: ‘Barbara is rolling over seeing how terrible the show has become.’
Jenny McCarthy has come under fire after claiming she identified the early stages of dementia in iconic journalist Barbara Walters during their time on The View
The actress appeared on the daytime talk show from 2013 to 2014, and has previously claimed she had a ‘miserable’ time during her stint
‘All I know is Barbara would be APPALLED at how far her show has now fallen into the toilet!’ one New York Post reader claimed.
Another quipped: ‘Latest dementia test has only one question: “Who’s Katy Perry?” I would fail that question so I guess I have dementia.’
One person noted: ‘Wow Jenny is confusing advanced age with dementia. Hey newsflash names come and go when you’re a senior.’
To which another reader replied: ‘Agree, and heaven forbid that a 70- to 80-year-old professional news type doesn’t know or care about some new pop singer.’
During the podcast, McCarthy had claimed that she had been hired for The View to speak about pop culture and help ‘lighten up’ the long-running show.
She then claimed that the producers opted for a change of direction and decided to focus on politics due to a moment she shared with Barbara.
McCarthy recalled how she had mentioned something about Katy Perry, who Walters had ‘just interviewed’ for a special.
But when the Teenage Dream hitmaker singer was named, McCarthy claimed her that Walters had asked, ‘Who’s Katy Perry?’
McCarthy says her time on The View took turns that she didn’t expect after she came to believe that Walters may have been in the early stages of the brain disorder
McCarthy claimed that the producers had a change of direction from pop culture to politics due to a moment she shared with Barbara
McCarthy then claimed: ‘It was the first sign that I realized that Barbara was suffering from beginning stages of dementia. I was like, “Oh s**t.”
‘It was literally not even a week into the show. They were like, “We’re flipping it. There’s no more pop culture. We’re going back to politics.” [Barbara] knew politics but she didn’t know pop culture.’
The View icon Walters retired as a co-host in 2014 after 16 seasons.
It has never been confirmed if Barbara was diagnosed with dementia before she eventually passed away in December 2022 at the age of 93.
DailyMail.com previously reached out to Barbara Walter’s representatives for comment.
Back in 2019, McCarthy made headlines thanks to similar claims she shared in Ladies Who Punch: Inside Story of ‘The View.’
She told author Ramin Setoodeh that Barbara Walters constantly yelled at her.
At the time, McCarthy explained: ‘Imagine a woman like Barbara Walters. It’s her last year and she doesn’t want to leave. Think about that. And I’m the new b***h there.’
McCarthy recalled talking about Katy Perry – who Barbara Walters had ‘just interviewed’ for a special. But Barbara had asked, ‘Who’s Katy Perry?’
McCarthy then claimed: ‘It was the first sign that I realized that Barbara was suffering from beginning stages of dementia. I was like, “Oh s**t”‘
The former model claims that Barbara, who was 83 at the time, still had good energy but she had complicated emotions as she grappled with the idea she’d be forgotten.
On one episode, McCarthy recalled talking about Katy Perry dating John Mayer when she saw ‘Barbara’s face with her big saucer eyes look at me.’
‘Then we went to a commercial. She said, “Who is it that you’re talking about and why are you bringing her up?” I’m, like, “That’s Katy Perry. You interviewed her last week!”‘
Again the actress claimed that within a matter of days, she was told that she would no longer be able to do pop culture because Walters didn’t know who the people were.
McCarthy said she was instructed to talk about politics instead, which she says she knew nothing about.
‘I panicked because I don’t consider myself a political person,’ she admitted. ‘My controversy is in vaccines. I know I’m not talking about that every day.
‘Now I had to figure out, “Am I coming out as a Republican or a Democrat? Where do I stand on all the social issues and political issues?”‘
McCarthy also said there were at least 50 times when Walters would even ask her to change her clothes before they went on air.
‘Barbara would check out what I was wearing. If she didn’t agree with it, or it didn’t complement her outfit, I had to change,’ she recalled.
‘Mind you, she doesn’t look at anyone’s clothes but mine,’ McCarthy said. ‘I’d go, “Barbara, you’re wearing your own clothes.”‘
