Fox News anchor Chris Wallace released a statement on Monday about the death of his father, "60 Minutes" icon Mike Wallace.
Wallace died on Saturday at 93. Chris Wallace, the host of "Fox News Sunday," did not host that week's broadcast. In the statement, he said that Mike had become his "best friend."
The two had a famously complicated relationship, with Mike leaving Chris and his brother behind when he moved to New York to pursue a broadcasting career. In a 1997 interview with People, Chris talked candidly about how his father could put work ahead of family.
"Part of it is, he was chasing fame and making it big and proving himself, and that was the motivating force," he said. "Because I can see where it has taken him, I hope I've learned from his mistakes. I spend more time with my family and the relationships with my children."
However, as the statement showed, father and son had grown much closer over the years:
My Dad was everything you saw on television: fascinating and funny, challenging and exasperating. He was the best reporter I have ever known. And while work often came first for him, over the last 20 years, he worked hard to make connections with his family. He became my best friend. And at the end, he was surrounded by children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren. I already miss him terribly.
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