Rosie O’Donnell Says She Was ‘Lucky Enough’ to Be in Barbara Walters’ Orbit Following Her Death

Rosie O’Donnell is honoring Barbara Walters after her death.

After the pioneering reporter died on Friday at the age of 93, the comedian posted a video on her Instagram to pay tribute to Walters, noting that she was “very sad” to hear about the news. The two worked together on The View, which Walters created, from 2006 to 2007.

“What a long and eventful legendary life she had,” O’Donnell continued, reflecting on the newscaster’s longevity. “Spoke to every prominent world leader in memory, interviewed everyone who’s anyone, and I was lucky enough to be in her orbit for a good many years.”

Reflecting on the time they had spent together, O’Donnell, 60, continued, “We saw a lot of Broadway shows together, and whenever we go backstage, I’d, like, try to help her, you know, over the steps backstage and she would always smack my hand and tell me to leave her alone. She [knew] what she was doing I could tell you that.”

“May she rest in peace and may everyone remember just what barriers she broke down for women,” she concluded. “She really did, she was the first, and will always be remembered.”

O’Donnell and Walters had a fair share of ups and downs in their friendship throughout the years.

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When Donald Trump verbally attacked O’Donnell after she made negative comments about him on The View in 2007, Page Six reported O’Donnell felt Walters didn’t stand up for her strongly enough — and said as much to her boss backstage.

At the time, a spokesperson for the show told PEOPLE, “From the first day Rosie spoke about Donald Trump, Barbara has been nothing but supportive of Rosie. Whatever happened in the hair and makeup room was only a squabble. It’s business as usual. Everyone has moved on.”

However, in Ramin Setoodeh’s book about The View, Ladies Who Punch, the author detailed O’Donnell and Walters’ extended falling out, which stemmed from tensions on set and the release of O’Donnell’s book, Celebrity Detox. Reportedly upset with her portrayal in the tome, Walters arranged to have a portion of the book leaked to the New York Post — asking the outlet to include a psychologist evaluation of O’Donnell’s mental health in its coverage.

RELATED VIDEO: Barbara Walters, Legendary Broadcaster and Creator of ‘The View,’ Dead at 93

The article came out in September 2007 and featured a psychiatrist calling O’Donnell “full of rage,” suggesting she “dishes out anger mostly to women because of deep-seated abandonment issues over her mother’s death.” The piece also included a statement from Walters, in which she called O’Donnell’s memoir a “sad book, but I prefer to focus on the happier times we had and the happier times we hope to have in the future.”

Walters’ death was confirmed on Friday by her rep Cindi Berger who told PEOPLE: “Barbara Walters passed away peacefully in her home surrounded by loved ones. She lived a big life.”

“She lived her life with no regrets,” Berger’s statement continued. “She was a trailblazer not only for female journalists, but for all women.”