Following months of speculation, Bruce Jenner breaks his silence about transitioning to living his life as a woman in an interview with Diane Sawyer to air Friday on ABC.
Barbara Walter’s 1999 interview with Monica Lewinsky on “20/20” scored spectacular ratings, ranking as the most-watched news interview ever televised on a single network. ABC estimated that 74 million people watched at least a portion of the two-hour broadcast.
Martin Bashir’s documentary “Living With Michael Jackson” addressed the late pop-star’s secretive lifestyle on Neverland Ranch and his penchant for sharing his bed with children. The U.K. airing had 15 million viewers while 38 million watched the 2-hour special on ABC.
In 2002, Houston sat down for an interview with Diane Sawyer to promote an upcoming album. When asked about reports surrounding her ongoing drug addiction, Houston infamously replied: “Let’s get one thing straight. Crack is cheap. I make too much money to ever smoke crack … Crack is whack.”
Geraldo Rivera’s 1986 special, “The Mystery of Al Capone’s Vaults,” was one of the most hyped TV events in history… and one of the biggest flops. Rivera finally opened the famous gangster’s secret safe in a two-hour special, but instead of finding money or bodies, he discovered a couple of empty bottles and dirt. The broadcast became the most-watched syndicated special with 30 million people tuning in.
After years of reported drug abuse and spousal problems, “20/20” sat down with Charlie Sheen in 2011 to set the record straight. The visibly manic actor candidly spoke to Andrea Canning about his past addiction. The interview was used as the basis for a viral video that received more than 10 million views during its first 9 days on YouTube.
TV chef Paula Deen went on the “Today” show in 2013 to explain her use of the N word in a legal deposition. Deen denied to Matt Lauer that she was a racist, right before bursting into tears.
Princess Diana shocked the world in a BBC interview with Martin Bashir in 1995 when she admitted she had an affair with her riding instructor. She dropped another bomb when she told Bashir: “There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded,” referring to the love triangle between herself, Prince Charles, and his then mistress, Camilla Parker-Bowles.
Oprah Winfrey sat down with Michael Jackson in 1993 for what would become the most-watched interview in television history. It was the King of Pop’s first interview in 14 years and the live broadcast from Jackson’s Neverland Ranch was watched by 90 million people.
Oprah Winfrey’s interview with Tom Cruise in 2005 gained notoriety after Cruise jumping onto a couch, fell to one knee and repeatedly professed his love for then girlfriend, Katie Holmes. This scene quickly became ingrained in American pop-cultural prompting parodies from “Mad TV,” “The Simpsons,” “Saturday Night Live,” “Family Guy,” and “South Park.”
Fresh off her sixth rehab stint, Lindsay Lohan spoke publicly for the first time with Oprah Winfrey in 2013. Lohan later appeared in a docu-series on Oprah’s OWN network.
In 2008, Jodi Arias famously told “Inside Edition,” “mark my words on that one — no jury will convict me.” Arias was indicted for murdering ex-boyfriend Travis Alexander. The interview was played to jurors who did convict her of first degree murder.
With little emotion, Lance Armstrong came clean about his steroid use during a 2013 interview with Oprah Whinfrey. The seven-time Tour de France winner admitted to doping and lying about it for years. “I am flawed, deeply flawed,” Armstrong said.
In 1988, boxer Mike Tyson and wife Robin Givens sat down with Barbara Walters on ABC to talk about their troubled marriage. Givens described their married life as “torture” and “pure hell.” The two divorced shortly after.
It his first interview following his 1974 resignation, Richard Nixon talked to British journalist David Frost in 1977 about the Watergate scandal. The dramatic interview later became the subject of a Peter Morgan play, “Frost/Nixon,” as well as a movie of the same name. The film, directed by Ron Howard, received five Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Director.
