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2013 espnW: Women + Sports Summit

Source: Joe Scarnici / Getty

It turns out Sage Steele doesn’t just get endlessly bullied on social media, it happens in real life, too.

However, it wasn’t just a disgruntled ESPN viewer that had smoke with her, it was none other than Barbara Walters.

The late legendary journalist –who was also the mastermind behind The View– allegedly had an issue with Steele when she visited the show some years ago.

On an episode of The Megyn Kelly Show Thursday, Steele spoke about the shocking physical altercation where she alleges Walters tried to beat her up.

“It was Barbara, Whoopi [Goldberg] and myself in the dark green room off to the side,” Steele began. “I was probably about four feet from the wall and the trash can, and Barbara was standing over here in front of me. She just started to back up toward me and looked at me and got close and elbowed me, and it pushed me back into the wall and the trash can. I was like, ‘What did [she] just do to me? This 140-year-old woman just tried to like tackle me.’”

Steele says the attack allegedly occurred after a segment about Barack Obama where Walters asked Steele on-air why she didn’t identify as Black despite being biracial, which Obama does. Both have white mothers and Black fathers.

“Some of the producers saw it. Whoopi saw it. And Whoopi was like, ‘Come here.’ She was great. She pulled me aside in her little area and she’s like, ‘Don’t you let her do it.’ And I’m like, ‘Am I in a movie right now?’ One of the legends in this industry just tried to beat me up!”

Comments like those about Barack Obama not being Black enough, COVID-19 and how women dress are also what led to her settling a case against ESPN and moving on from the network just days ago. 

Alongside her business partner, Bill Geddie, Walters was a co-executive producer of The View from its premiere in 1997 until her death in 2022.

The View has yet to comment on Steele’s allegations, but a representative for Walters’ estate told Variety, “I find this impossible to believe and uncharacteristic of Barbara!”

Social media’s already making fun of the alleged shove. See the reactions below.

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