BARBARA WALTERS HOSPITALIZED AFTER FALL AT INAUGURATION PARTY

Veteran ABC News journalist Barbara Walters has been hospitalized in Washington, D.C. after falling at an inauguration party.

The 83-year-old newswoman reportedly had a misstep at the home of Britain's ambassador to the United States, Peter Westmacott, that left her with a cut on her forehead, ABC Newsspokesman Jeffrey Schneider said.

ABC News reports:

Walters, out of an abundance of caution, went to a hospital for treatment of the cut and for a full examination, Schneider said on Sunday. She was alert and was "telling everyone what to do, which we all take as a very positive sign," he said.

It was unclear when Walters might be released from the hospital, which ABC didn't identify.
TV-Barbara Walters.JPEG
AP
In this Monday, April 23, 2012 photo, veteran... View Full Caption

Walters was TV news' first female superstar, making headlines in 1976 as a network anchor with an unprecedented $1 million annual salary. During more than three decades at ABC, and before that at NBC, her exclusive interviews with rulers, royalty and entertainers have brought her celebrity status. In 1997, she created "The View," a live weekday talk show that became an unexpected hit.

Walters had heart surgery in May 2010 but returned to active duty on "The View" that September, declaring, "I'm fine!"