Marcia Cross Furious With Barbara Walters for Asking About Lesbian Rumors  8/14/06

Desperate Housewives star Marcia Cross was furious with Barbara Walters when the US talk show host asked her about lesbian rumors in front of her parents.

Cross married businessman Tom Mahoney in June (06), but had previously battled tabloid reports that speculated about her sexuality. And Walters decided to raise the issue during Cross' appearance on US chat show The View earlier this year (06).

The star was shocked by Walters' decision to bring up the issue, saying, "Honestly? I was not happy about it. I handled it very well at the time.

"My parents were in town. My father, who's 80-something, and my mother were in the front row of the audience (in the TV studio).

"When I got backstage, Barbara Walters came up to me and said (beforehand), 'You know, I have to ask you about this.'

"And I said, 'Why do you have to ask me about this?' And she said, 'Well, it's news.'

"At which point my publicist came in and we sorted out how to deal with it.

And then, thank God - my mouth and my thoughts really came together and I felt like I spoke well at the time."

Cross claims the incident made her lose respect for the veteran newswoman adding, "I have to tell you that I am not a huge Barbara Walters fan. That ended for me.

"My dad was in the front row going, 'What did they say? Are you a what?' I just thought about Barbara, 'You didn't have to ask me that question. That was tabloid-y of you.'

"I felt really used. So now I don't really like looking at Barbara Walters!"