Barbara Walters Tell Me Everything, the ABC News Studios documentary directed by Emmy-winning filmmaker and journalist Jackie Jesko, will premiere Monday, June 23, on Hulu in the U.S. and later this year on Disney+, following its world premiere at the 2025 Tribeca Festival.
The documentary examines the broadcast legend’s pivotal role in the history of journalism and her pioneering example for women in the industry.
Barbara Walters (Sept. 25, 1929-Dec. 30, 2022) was a true American original and a trailblazer who broke ground for women in broadcasting. The documentary gives viewers an intimate and raw look at her astonishing career, personal life, and the challenges she faced trying to balance it all as a woman in a male-dominated industry. Walters, in her own words, also reflects on the high price of fame and the legacy she hoped to inspire.
The film features unaired footage from ABC’s extensive archives and interviews with people who knew and worked with the broadcast legend, including Cindy Adams, Joy Behar, Connie Chung, Martin Clancy, Andy Cohen, Katie Couric, Peter Gethers, Lori Klein, Cynthia McFadden, Bette Midler, Victor Neufeld, David Sloan, Katie Nelson Thomson, Chris Vlasto and Oprah Winfrey.
“My hope for the film is that audiences feel they get to know the real Barbara, in all her complexities – her private struggles and her public triumphs,” said Jesko. “Barbara stayed a television fixture for five decades, battling rampant sexism, fierce competition, and a constantly evolving media landscape. In today’s world, where celebrities and politicians can choose to speak out on their own social media platforms instead of subjecting themselves to a news interviewer, Barbara’s story gives us the opportunity to explore the changing relationship between journalism, fame, and truth.”
“Barbara Walters Tell Me Everything” is produced by Imagine Documentaries for ABC News Studios in association with Latchkey Films and directed by Jesko. For Imagine Documentaries, the film is produced by Marcella Steingart, Sara Bernstein, Justin Wilkes and Meredith Kaulfers. Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Justin Wilkes and Betsy West serve as executive producers. Muriel Pearson is executive producer, and David Sloan is senior executive producer for ABC News Studios.