Barbara Walters: Four Marriages, Four Divorces
The most powerful woman in television news married four times, divorced four times, and admitted she was never very good at it.
Key Facts
What Happened
Barbara Walters, who became the first female co-anchor of a network evening news program, was famously candid about her failed marriages. Her first marriage to Robert Henry Katz, a Navy lieutenant and business executive, lasted from 1955 to 1957 and was annulled in 1958. The marriage was brief and produced no children.
Her second marriage to theatrical producer Lee Guber lasted 13 years, from 1963 to 1976. Together they adopted daughter Jacqueline Dena Guber in 1968. The divorce came as Walters's career was accelerating toward its most historic moments, including becoming co-anchor of the ABC Evening News in 1976, the same year the marriage ended.
The most unusual chapter was her relationship with television producer Merv Adelson, CEO of Lorimar Television. They married in 1981, divorced in 1984, remarried in 1986, and divorced again in 1992. The on-again, off-again nature of their relationship, spanning 11 years and two separate marriages, suggests a genuine connection that could not survive the demands of two powerful careers.
Walters herself offered the most honest assessment of her marital history, telling Oprah in 2014: 'I certainly haven't been very good at marriage.' She suggested that her all-consuming career was the primary factor, noting that marriages work better when both partners can balance ambition with presence. She died in December 2022 at 93, having never remarried after her 1992 divorce from Adelson.
Legal Breakdown: When career ambition and marriage prove fundamentally incompatible
Annulment vs. Divorce
Walters's first marriage ended in annulment, which legally treats the marriage as if it never existed. Annulments have different legal requirements than divorce, typically requiring proof that the marriage was based on fraud, coercion, or some other fundamental defect. The distinction affects property division and future legal status.
Marrying and Divorcing the Same Person Twice
The Adelson-Walters pattern of marry-divorce-remarry-divorce is more common than people think. Legally, each marriage and divorce is treated independently, meaning the second divorce requires its own settlement even if the parties were previously married. Assets accumulated between marriages complicate the division.
Career as a Factor in Marital Breakdown
Walters openly identified her career as the primary factor in her failed marriages. While career ambition is not grounds for divorce, the lifestyle demands of high-powered careers, including travel, long hours, and public scrutiny, are among the most common contributing factors to marital breakdown.
What This Means for Your Divorce
- →Annulment and divorce have different legal requirements and consequences; understand which applies to your situation.
- →Remarrying the same person does not guarantee a different outcome; the second marriage requires just as much work as the first.
- →Career-driven divorces are among the most common; recognize when professional ambition is consuming the emotional space a marriage needs.
- →Self-awareness about one's own role in marital failure, as Walters demonstrated, is the first step toward healthier relationships.
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This article is based on publicly available court records, news reports, and legal analysis. It is provided for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is created by reading this content.
Divorce laws vary by jurisdiction. Always consult a licensed attorney in your area before making legal decisions.