Barbara Walters

Often considered the most popular entertainer of the 20th century--his extravagant performances set still-unchallenged attendance records--Liberace (dubbed "Mr. Showman" in tribute to his flashy theatricality) sued a London columnist in 1956 for implying he was gay. He won.

Barbara Walters wasted no time Monday morning on "The View" addressing reports last week stating that the 83-year-old newswoman would be retiring in May 2014. "The paparazzi were outside my home today... however, here I am, and I have no announcement to make," Walters told the audience and her co-panelists on "The View. " "But I do want to say this: that if and when I might have an announcement to make, I will do it on this program, I promise, and the paparazzi guys -- you will be the last to know.

Barbara Walters made her triumphant return to "The View" this week after being laid up with a series of maladies, including chicken pox, since late January. And after a few surprises for her, like an appearance by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg with a bouquet of flowers, Walters had a surprise of her own: the identity of the actor who gave her chicken pox in the first place. As Walters confirmed on Tuesday's show, the actor who gave her chicken pox is Frank Langella, with whom Walters shared a New Year's Eve smooch on the cheek a few weeks before.

After the coffee. Before auditioning for a spot on ABC's "The View. "  The Skinny: How good a Friday can this be if I'm working? Well, at least there is some great college basketball this weekend and baseball's back on Sunday. Friday's headlines include a preview of the weekend box office and Barbara Walters getting ready to step down from ABC. Daily Dose: It used to be that people wrote about new TV shows when they were definitely going to get on the air. Now an announced project is enough to draw a big headline.

Is Elisabeth Hasselbeck leaving "The View"? Maybe one day, but not today, according to Barbara Walters, who addressed rumors that said Hasselbeck was being fired from the long-running daytime talk show. On Monday, Walters wasted no time in addressing the story, which broke on Friday, that Hasselbeck's contract would not be renewed. "There is a particularly false story getting picked up about Elisabeth's alleged departure, saying that we don't approve of her conservative views," Walters said.

Barbara Walters appears to be on the mend and out of the hospital after a rough week that involved the esteemed newswoman taking a spill, cutting her head, developing a fever and, to top it off, getting a rare case of adult chicken pox. According to an update from ABC News, the 83-year-old Walters is finally at home and resting comfortably. Though there's no word on when she'll be making a return to "The View. " Over a week ago, Walters was hospitalized after she fell on the stairs at the home of the British ambassador in Washington, D.C., while attending a pre-inauguration party there.

Forget Thanksgiving -- it's actually that time of year again. The time when Barbara Walters reveals the bulk of her 10 most fascinating people list, this time for 2012. (No, Nicki Minaj isn't on the roster, despite the rapper's shout-out to "Barbs" at the American Music Awards on Sunday night. But we can dream.) Ben Affleck is perhaps the shiniest Hollywood name so far on the list , which also includes One Direction, gymnast Gabby Douglas and "Family Guy" guy Seth MacFarlane.

Barbara Walters had a slip Saturday night, but her employer says the 83-year-old newswoman will be OK. Walters fell on a staircase while visiting the British ambassador's home in Washington for an inauguration party. She cut her forehead during the tumble. "Out of an abundance of caution, she went to the hospital to have her cut tended to, have a full examination and remains there for observation," an ABC spokesman wrote in a statement. "Barbara is alert (and telling everyone what to do)

Barbara Walters is still in the hospital but seems to be on the mend. Though she didn't join the women of "The View" when they returned on Tuesday, Whoopi Goldberg was able to share Walters' thoughts by reading a statement from her. "First and foremost, I want to thank all the people who have called, written and been concerned about me," Goldberg read. "I am most appreciative. I'm running a low-grade fever and the doctors are keeping me in the hospital until my temperature is normal.

After more than a month away from the cameras, Barbara Walters is on her way back to "The View. " Walters on Tuesday called in to the daytime talk show she co-created to let her co-hosts know that after a lengthy period of recovery from a fall and chicken pox, she was ready to return to TV. "Like it or not, I'm coming back on the show again," the 83-year-old Walters said. "No more chicken pox....  I haven't been contagious for a while, but they wanted me to have rest, and I've had enough rest and I'm ready to come back.

She's survived co-host battles, open heart surgery and a case of chicken pox, but even Barbara Walters is mortal, and her tenure as co-host of "The View" seems to be coming to an end. It appears the 83-year-old Walters is planning to retire in May 2014, after 17 seasons of co-hosting the ABC daytime talk show she co-created in 1997. Multiple outlets have reported Walters' upcoming departure, including Deadline, which was first with the story. A representative for ABC had no comment when asked about the situation.

Is Elisabeth Hasselbeck leaving "The View"? Maybe one day, but not today, according to Barbara Walters, who addressed rumors that said Hasselbeck was being fired from the long-running daytime talk show. On Monday, Walters wasted no time in addressing the story, which broke on Friday, that Hasselbeck's contract would not be renewed. "There is a particularly false story getting picked up about Elisabeth's alleged departure, saying that we don't approve of her conservative views," Walters said.

Barbara Walters made her triumphant return to "The View" this week after being laid up with a series of maladies, including chicken pox, since late January. And after a few surprises for her, like an appearance by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg with a bouquet of flowers, Walters had a surprise of her own: the identity of the actor who gave her chicken pox in the first place. As Walters confirmed on Tuesday's show, the actor who gave her chicken pox is Frank Langella, with whom Walters shared a New Year's Eve smooch on the cheek a few weeks before.

After more than a month away from the cameras, Barbara Walters is on her way back to "The View. " Walters on Tuesday called in to the daytime talk show she co-created to let her co-hosts know that after a lengthy period of recovery from a fall and chicken pox, she was ready to return to TV. "Like it or not, I'm coming back on the show again," the 83-year-old Walters said. "No more chicken pox....  I haven't been contagious for a while, but they wanted me to have rest, and I've had enough rest and I'm ready to come back.

Barbara Walters is going to be off "The View" for another three weeks or so, the veteran newswoman said in a call to the show Wednesday. She also shed light on her recent fall, and revealed how she got chicken pox. "What happened was that I had a temperature and had chicken pox and didn't know it, so when i was in Washington for the inauguration weekend, I fainted at the British Embassy. if you're going to faint, it's a very elegant place to faint. " Good to know, Babs! The fall left her with six stitches and, unfortunately, a concussion, she said, so she's a little weak and needs to rest, but is in no pain.

Barbara Walters appears to be on the mend and out of the hospital after a rough week that involved the esteemed newswoman taking a spill, cutting her head, developing a fever and, to top it off, getting a rare case of adult chicken pox. According to an update from ABC News, the 83-year-old Walters is finally at home and resting comfortably. Though there's no word on when she'll be making a return to "The View. " Over a week ago, Walters was hospitalized after she fell on the stairs at the home of the British ambassador in Washington, D.C., while attending a pre-inauguration party there.

Barbara Walters is still in the hospital, according to her "The View" co-host Whoopi Goldberg, and she now has chicken pox. That's right, the disease many people get as children is now afflicting the 83-year-old newswoman. "We want to give you an update on Barbara," Goldberg said on "The View" on Monday. "You all know that she fell and cut her head 10 days ago, and then was running a temperature, but it turns out it is all the result of a delayed childhood. Barbara has the chicken pox. She'd never had it as a child.

Mitt Romney apparently didn't make the cut for Barbara Walters' Most Fascinating People of 2012 list, but the British boy band One Direction did. Go figure. The TV personality has unveiled her picks, and they include Ben Affleck, director-star of the likely Oscar contender "Argo," and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, likely contender for the 2016 Republican Party presidential nomination. Also fascinating, in Walters' view, are U.S. Secretary of State and potential contender for the 2016 Democratic Party presidential nomination Hillary Rodham Clinton; "Fifty Shades of Grey" author E.L. James; and Gabby Douglas, the Olympic gold medalist and likely contender for the 2016 Green Party nomination (just kidding about that last one -- Pop & Hiss just threw that in to see how fascinated you really were)

Barbara Walters has chicken pox. Not shingles, which comes from the same virus and is something one might more  likely expect in a woman who's 83 years old. No, Babs has good old-fashioned chicken pox. "She'd never had it as a child," Whoopi Goldberg said Monday on "The View. "So now she's been told to rest, she's not allowed any visitors and, we're telling you, Barbara - no scratching. " Goldberg had previously talked on the show about Walters being in the hospital and running a low-grade fever after the correspondent fell and cut her head at a Jan. 19 inaugural event.

Barbara Walters is still in the hospital, according to her "The View" co-host Whoopi Goldberg, and she now has chicken pox. That's right, the disease many people get as children is now afflicting the 83-year-old newswoman. "We want to give you an update on Barbara," Goldberg said on "The View" on Monday. "You all know that she fell and cut her head 10 days ago, and then was running a temperature, but it turns out it is all the result of a delayed childhood. Barbara has the chicken pox. She'd never had it as a child.