Diane Sawyer didn’t “disappear” so much as step back from nightly anchoring. ABC said in 2014 that she was leaving the evening news desk to focus on interviews and specials, and later coverage noted that she continued doing major interview work rather than full-time nightly broadcasts.

What changed

  • She stepped down from anchoring ABC’s World News in 2014 and was replaced by David Muir.
  • ABC said she would keep working on interviews, specials, and event coverage.
  • Her public profile became less frequent because she was no longer on the nightly anchor schedule.

Why people noticed

  • Viewers associated her with major TV moments, so fewer appearances made it seem like something dramatic had happened.
  • Coverage also points to a difficult personal period in 2014, when her mother died and, less than a month later, her husband Mike Nichols died.
  • Even so, reporting indicates she remained active in journalism through special interviews and select appearances.

In plain terms

Nothing suggests a scandal or sudden exit from journalism. The simplest answer is that Diane Sawyer retired from the nightly anchor role, then continued working in a more selective way.

TL;DR

She stepped down from ABC’s evening news in 2014, shifted to interviews and specials, and stayed largely out of the nightly spotlight after that.