Both George Stephanopoulos and Matt Lauer tried to land an interview with film director Peter Rodger, whose son Elliot is responsible for the shooting death of 6 people in Southern California.

But the interview went to the retired (for 10 minutes) Barbara Walters.

So how did Walters beat out Lauer, Stephanopoulos and others? It was thanks to a guy that Walters dated a longtime ago.

Peter Rodger has a longtime friend. Simon Astaire. In the ’60s Astaire’s English father Edgar dated Barbara. Knowing his father’s high regard for Barbara, the younger Astaire told the shooter’s father: “You can trust her. My father did. He always said if she gives her word she keeps it.” 

ABC will air the interview in an hour long special on Friday night at 10PM. 

H/T Page Six