When was Barbara Walters diagnosed with dementia? Jenny McCarthy says she witnessed initial signs of disease

From co-hosting The View to talking about Barbara Walters, Jenny McCarthy, 52, recalled the past days and opened up about many aspects on the recent Maria Menounos's Heal Squad podcast.

While talking about Walters, McCarthy brought to mind the time when the late television personality was seeing the earlier signs of dementia. She recalled when Barbara forgot about Katy Perry despite interviewing her some time back. Hearing about the renowned singer, Walters ended up asking,

"Who’s Katy Perry?"

She further continued in the podcast:

"It was the first sign that I realized that Barbara was suffering from beginning stages of dementia. I was like, 'Oh s***.' 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.'"

Jenny McCarthy and Barbara Walters worked together

Jenny McCarthy and Barbara Walters played pivotal roles in The View. Jenny was a part of the famous chat show in 2013 and 2014. In a conversation with Howard Stern in 2014, she discussed her decision to exit from the show just a month after Barbara Walters retired.

Recalling her days in The View, she highlighted the most rewarding part of being associated with the show was working with Barbara Walters.

Last year, Jenny appeared on Let's Talk Off Camera With Kelly Ripa podcast and talked about some bizarre stories from the time she was co-hosting The View. She shared,

"I have some stories from there and given, all of them turn funny."

Revealing an interview when she began menstruating, she explained,

"All of a sudden my eyes go wide because I just feel like this rush of a period and when in your 40s when you're perimenopausal, you bleed out. You basically hemorrhage, you know, your uterus falls out."

Here's what we know about Barbara Walters's dementia diagnosis

Multiple reports gave updates on Walters suffering from the disease during her later years. However, neither she nor her close ones officially announced her diagnosis or physical battle. There is no specific confirmation of the year or exact timeline of her diagnosis of dementia. She decided to retire in 2014 and spent the next few years privately.

Per a TerraBella Senior Living report, Barbara Walters experienced health issues for a long time. She underwent surgeries and speech therapy to recover from challenges concerning her vocal cords. With her passion and determination to strive in her professional field, she often neglected to take the utmost care of her physical and mental health. She suffered from issues due to fatigue and stress, too. Later, in 2010, she had to get an open-heart surgery for her deteriorating heart condition. Her growing age became another obstacle as she faced aging cognitive problems.

Per a report by the New York Post, Walters bought a property in Naples, Florida in 2014 for $3.4 million. However, her daughter decided to sell the swanky retreat for $5.35 million in 2018.

An insider spoke to The Post about this Florida retreat and shared,

"It was supposed to be her place to retreat, but unfortunately her health deteriorated pretty quickly in the last few years and we just knew she would best be accommodated in New York."

At the age of 93, Barbara Walters passed away on December 30, 2022.