She Survived a Difficult Childhood to Become One of the Biggest Celeb Icons at 72 – Her Transformation in 40+ Pics
The legendary TV host and Jerry Turner upon her becoming co-anchor of “Eyewitness News” on WJZ on June 26, 1978, in Baltimore, Maryland | Source: Getty Images
The host thanked her for keeping her, acknowledged how hard that decision must have been as a teenager with nothing to her name, and made sure she knew that no matter what had passed between them, she had always done the best she knew how to do.
The legendary TV host and Jerry Turner upon her becoming co-anchor of “Eyewitness News” on WJZ on June 26, 1978, in Baltimore, Maryland | Source: Getty Images
Her mother had refused dialysis three years earlier, a decision her daughter chose to honor rather than fight. The legendary TV host revealed that her mother’s body had started shutting down by then and that the only thing left to focus on was making the process as peaceful as possible.
The legendary TV host attends the 43rd Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 24, 1986, in Beverly Hills, California | Source: Getty Images
It was a goodbye that was as heartbreaking as it was loving. But the years leading up to it had already tested her in ways few people knew about.
The legendary TV host attends the nominees luncheon for the 58th Annual Academy Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on March 13, 1986, in Beverly Hills, California | Source: Getty Images
Rock Bottom at 14
Her teenage years brought a level of trauma that would have broken most people entirely. She was abused by relatives, and at just 14, became pregnant after being assaulted by her uncle.
The legendary TV host attends the 59th Academy Awards at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on March 30, 1987, in Los Angeles, California | Source: Getty Images
The legendary TV host attends the 19th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards at the Sheraton Hotel on June 23, 1992, in New York City | Source: Getty Images
And the weight of it all became unbearable.
“I hit rock-bottom,” she told The Hollywood Reporter on its “Awards Chatter” podcast in 2017. “I became pregnant and hid the pregnancy. I’d intended to kill myself actually. I thought there’s no way other than killing myself. I was just planning on how to do it.”
