Sage Steele: ‘140-year-old’ Barbara Walters once ‘tried to beat me up!’

Barbara Walters was the queen of provocative questions — and apparently a fair harder-hitting elbow.

Sage Steele, the previous ESPN anchor who just lately left the sports activities community after settling a lawsuit, claimed that she had a run-in with the late Barbara Walters backstage at “The View” in 2014.

“It was Barbara, Whoopi [Goldberg], and myself at the hours of darkness inexperienced room off to the aspect,” Steele recalled on Thursday’s episode of “The Megyn Kelly Show.”

“I used to be in all probability about 4 ft from the wall and the trash can, and Barbara was standing over right here in entrance of me. She simply began to again up towards me and checked out me and bought shut and elbowed me, and it pushed me again into the wall and the trash can,” alleged Steele, 50, of the information icon, who died in December 2022 at age 93.

“I used to be like, ‘What did [she] simply do to me? This 140-year-old girl simply tried to, like, deal with me.’

“A few of the producers noticed it. Whoopi noticed it,” Steele continued. “And Whoopi was like, ‘Come right here.’ She was nice. She pulled me apart in her little space and he or she’s like, ‘Don’t you let her do it.’ And I’m like, ‘Am I in a film proper now? One of many legends on this business simply tried to beat me up!’ ”

When contacted by The Submit, a consultant for Walters’ property stated in a press release: “I discover this unattainable to consider and uncharacteristic of Barbara!”

The Submit additionally has contacted reps for Steele, Goldberg and “The View” for remark.

In 2021, Steele spoke on the “Uncut with Jay Cutler” podcast about an look on “The View” when she stated Walters “ripped me on reside TV after which afterwards” on why it was “so vital” for her to establish as biracial when former President Barack Obama recognized solely as a black man.

Steele referred to as the best way Obama recognized “fascinating, contemplating his black dad was nowhere to be discovered.”

The podcast look, by which Steele additionally mentioned being compelled to get the COVID-19 vaccination and controversial takes on how ladies costume, resulted in ESPN yanking her off the air.

Steele then filed a lawsuit in opposition to ESPN and its mum or dad firm, Disney, claiming the community retaliated in opposition to her after the interview by taking away high-profile assignments and additional claiming they violated her proper to free speech.

On Tuesday, Steele introduced she had settled her lawsuit in opposition to ESPN and was leaving the corporate.

“Having efficiently settled my case with ESPN/Disney, I’ve determined to go away so I can train my first modification rights extra freely,” Steele wrote in a press release. “I’m grateful for thus many great experiences over the previous 16 years and am excited for my subsequent chapter!”

Walters died at her dwelling final yr after reportedly affected by superior dementia.