Betty White Obituary & Death Updates – THE Golden Girls actress Betty White passed away at the age of 99 on New Year’s Eve, and her cause of death has been revealed.
Her death came just weeks before the icon’s milestone 100th birthday.
Sources told TMZ that the star passed away at her home on Thursday night and her agent, Jeff Witjas, said in a statement to People that she died of “natural causes.”
Witjas said she passed peacefully in a statement to Deadline.
“Even though Betty was about to be 100, I thought she would live forever,” Witjas said. “I don’t think Betty ever feared passing because she always wanted to be with her most beloved husband Allen Ludden. She believed she would be with him again.”
Born in Oak Park, Illinois, on January 17, 1922, White’s career started as a radio personality in Los Angeles in the 1930s, but her career skyrocketed with her role as Rose Nylund in the ’80s sitcom The Golden Girls.
Just days before her death, White gushed about celebrating her 100th birthday in a heartbreaking last post, writing, “My 100th birthday… I cannot believe it is coming up.”
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Betty and Ryan Reynolds
Betty White and Ryan Reynolds were featured in the 2009 film The Proposal alongside Sandra Bullock, and Reynolds, 45, has jokingly referred to White as his “ex-girlfriend” ever since.
In a 2019 Instagram post for White’s birthday, “I don’t usually post about ex-girlfriends. But Betty’s special. Happy Birthday to the one and only, @bettymwhite ?.”
To that end, in a People interview, White joked about the Free Guy actor’s humorous yearning, saying: “I’ve heard Ryan can’t get over his thing for me.”
Unfortunately for Reynolds, she also said, “Robert Redford is The One” for her.
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Final heartbreaking moments
In her final heartbreaking moments, Betty White reportedly called out to her late husband, Allen Ludden.
Betty, who died December 31 at the age of 99, was married to the game show host for 18 years, until his death in 1981, and never stopped loving him.
According to Page Six, actress Vicki Lawrence, who worked with Betty on “Mama’s Family,” revealed that Betty’s assistant, who was with her at the end, said “the very last word out of her mouth was ‘Allen.’”
Vicki told the outlet: “How sweet is that? I said, ‘That is so sweet. God, I hope that’s true. For all of us, I really hope it’s true, a lovely thought.’”
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Betty White will not be buried next to husband
Betty White will not be buried next to her beloved husband Allen Ludden, as he has been laid to rest at a cemetery in Mineral Point, Wisconsin.
The Sun can exclusively reveal photos of Allen’s tombstone at the Graceland Cemetery in Mineral Point, Wisconsin.
The modest tombstone reads Allen E. Ludden, Capt US Army World War II.
He was born October 5, 1917 in Mineral Point and passed away on June 9, 1981.
The cemetery confirmed there is a plot available next to Allen, though they have not been contacted by Betty’s family yet.
Betty’s agent Jeff Witjas told ABC News that she will not be laid to rest next to her late husband.
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True Love
Betty and Allen Ludden were married in 1963 and were together until his death from stomach cancer.
She became a stepmom to his three children, all who survived Betty and live private lives out of the spotlight.
The Golden Girls actress met her third husband when she was a guest on game show Password, which he hosted from 1961 to 1980.
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Photo of Betty White and Allen Ludden
A photo of the pair was shared on Twitter, after it was reported that Betty White’s last wor was “Allen.”
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Who was Betty White’s husband?
White had been married a total of three times but her last marriage was to Allen Ludden.
Ludden and White were married from 1963 to 1981 when Ludden passed away.
He was also a TV personality and actor known for his appearance on the game show Password.
White called Ludden the love of her life according to Distractify and said her first two marriages were “a mistake.”
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Was Betty White married?
Betty White married her first husband, Dick Barker in 1945 but they divorced that same year.
In 1947, Betty married Lane Allen but the pair divorced in 1949.
In 1963, the actress married Allen Ludden but he passed away in 1981 from cancer.
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Another look at Hollywood Blvd.
Hollywood Blvd. continues to honor Betty White, with a memorial set up at her star, and other tributes to the late Hollywood legend.
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Hollywood Blvd memorial
Candles, flowers, photos, and other items have been left at Betty White’s star at Hollywood Blvd.
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Betty’s name was Betty
Betty White’s name was not Elizabeth, as some may have thought.
The star’s name is actually Betty, and she once explained why her parents did not name her Elizabeth.
White said her parents did not like many of the nicknames derived from Elizabeth.
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Betty White never took acting lessons
The star rose to fame for her roles. However, she said she never took acting lessons.
“I just want to bring as much natural as I can,” said White.
“I’m not saying that people who take acting lessons are false.”
“They’re much better than I am, but it doesn’t work for me.”
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One of Hollywood’s first female producers
In 1951, when Betty White took over Hollywood On Television, she became a producer.
Betty co-founded her own production company named after her dog, Bandy Productions.
At the time, she was considered one of the first female producers of Hollywood.
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Betty White turned down Today Show co-host role
Barbara Walters got the job after Betty White rejected the offer.
NBC reportedly offered to give the star an apartment at the St. Regis Hotel so she can fly back to California every weekend, but White did not accept it.
White said she did not want to live on the East Coast.
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Party’s still on
While Betty won’t be able to attend her 100th birthday celebration, the event will still be held to honor her legacy.
It was revealed on Saturday that the release of a special tribute filmed ahead of the celebration, Betty White: 100 Years Young, will still go ahead as planned.
In a statement to the NY Post, the film’s producers Steve Boettcher and Mike Trinklein said: “Our hearts mourn today with the passing of Betty White. During the many years we worked with her, we developed a great love and admiration for Betty as a person, and as an accomplished entertainer.
“We will go forward with our plans to show the film on Jan. 17 in hopes our film will provide a way for all who loved her to celebrate her life — and experience what made her such a national treasure.”
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Centennial celebration planned
In a final tweet before her death, Betty reflected on her coming special day: “My 100th birthday… I cannot believe it is coming up.”
Plans for her celebration included a special one-night-only event with famous friends.
Alongside a throwback photo of the star, Betty revealed on Instagram that she was hosting a special event for her birthday.
The text below the photo read: “Betty White invites you to her 100th Birthday celebration event.”
She then revealed the impressive guest list for the party celebrating “America’s sweetheart.”
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Betty White statement on LGBT rights
“If a couple has been together all that time – and there are gay relationships that are more solid than some heterosexual ones – I think it’s fine if they want to get married,” said White.
“I don’t know how people can get so anti-something.”
“Mind your own business, take care of your affairs, and don’t worry about other people so much.”
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NBC pulled White from Tournament of Roses
After hosting the parade for 20 years, Betty White was pulled from the parade by NBC.
The decision to remove the star came as she gained popularity on rival network CBS’s The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
White was reportedly heartbroken by the decision, and she told People, “On New Year’s Day I just sat home feeling wretched, watching someone else do my parade.”
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Betty White’s parades
Betty White hosted NBC’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade from 1962 to 1971 with Lorne Greene.
She also was a color commentator the network’s Tournament of Roses Parade for 20 years, from 1956 to 1976.
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Who was in the cast of Betty White: 100 Years Young?
Alongside Ryan Reynolds, Tina Fey, Robert Redford, Lin Manuel-Miranda, Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, Jay Leno, Carol Burnett, Craig Ferguson, Jimmy Kimmel, Valerie Bertinelli, James Corden, Wendy Malick, and Jennifer Love Hewitt were among the big-name cast of friends expected to appear in the celebratory movie.
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What is Betty White: 100 Years Young?
Betty White: 100 Years Young: A Birthday Celebration was a unique cinematic event scheduled to celebrate the star’s 100th birthday.
Footage of White behind-the-scenes on set, working with her office staff, entertaining at home, and her real birthday celebration were all expected to be included in the film.
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‘Not surprised’
“When I learned of Betty’s passing this morning, I was incredibly sad. But we were not surprised, Patrik said,
“As we knew her health had been failing for quite some time.”
“She really wanted to make it to 100. She was a beautiful friend and we will always remember her with love.
“She was a bright light in this dark world and that light will always shine from above, forever.”
Pol’ and Patrik designed Betty’s iconic turquoise dress for her Lifetime Achievement Award honor from SAG in 2010.
“We made a gown for Betty White for her Lifetime Achievement Award,” Pol’ added. “It was one of her most iconic gowns.”
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Betty’s death ‘not surprising’ to close friends
Some close to the 99-year-old said that they were sadly aware that the Golden Girls star’s health was “failing for quite some time.”
“I’ve know[n] that her health was not great for some time, but it wasn’t until October that I knew how bad it was,” close friend and dress designer Pol’ Atteu recently told HollywoodLife.
Pol’ and his husband Patrik Simpson were planning to design a gown for Betty’s star-studded anticipated 100th birthday bash.
But they were told it wouldn’t be necessary.
“In October, we had contacted her management about doing a gown for her 100th birthday.
“We were told that her health was failing and that a gown would not be needed.”
Dress designer Pol’s husband Patrik also shared that they were “not surprised,” although “incredibly sad,” by the news.
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When did Betty White host Saturday Night Live?
On May 8, 2010, Betty White hosted Saturday Night Live for the first time, after years of showrunner Lorne Michaels asking her to join the cast onstage.
“After three rejections, I stopped asking,” Michaels said, according to Entertainment Weekly.
She finally agreed to appear as a host after a Facebook campaign launched to get Betty on the show.
“I told my agent, ‘Thank them so much, I appreciate it, but no thank you,”‘ Betty said to EW at the time.
“People have had such an overdose of me – they don’t need me anymore!,” she continued. “And he said, ‘You’ve got to do it. If you don’t do it, I’ll divorce you!”‘
According to former SNL star Seth Meyers, Betty was “the only SNL host I ever saw get a standing ovation at the afterparty.”
In a tribute to the late actress, he continued: “A party at which she ordered a vodka and a hotdog and stayed til the bitter end.”
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The show will go on
The release of a special tribute filmed ahead of the celebration, Betty White: 100 Years Young, will still go ahead as planned, the film’s producers Steve Boettcher and Mike Trinklein have assured.
In a statement to the NY Post, the pair said: “Our hearts mourn today with the passing of Betty White. During the many years we worked with her, we developed a great love and admiration for Betty as a person, and as an accomplished entertainer.
“We are thankful for the many decades of delight she brought to everyone. Betty always said she was the ‘luckiest broad on two feet’ to have had a career as long as she did. And honestly, we were the lucky ones to have had her for so long.”
“We will go forward with our plans to show the film on Jan. 17 in hopes our film will provide a way for all who loved her to celebrate her life — and experience what made her such a national treasure.”
The documentary special will profile White’s incredible eight-decade career on the small screen and will feature special appearances from a bevy of stars, including Ryan Reynolds, Tina Fey, Lin Manuel Miranda, and a number of others.
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What was Betty White’s cause of death?
Betty White’s cause of death has been revealed as a stroke that she suffered six days before she died.
White – whose Hollywood career spanned almost nine decades – was 99 years old, and only weeks from her 100th birthday on January 17th when she died.
However, her cause of death has now revealed that she suffered a cerebrovascular accident, TMZ reports, citing her death certificate.
This means that Betty had a loss of blood flow to part of her brain, which resulted in brain tissue damage.
The document said that Betty suffered the stroke six days before her death.
It is unclear how the stroke affected the actress and whether she was conscious and alert before she died.
The iconic star passed away at her home on the morning of New Year’s Eve. The source added that she didn’t have any illnesses and she was not battling any particular ailment. It is believed she died from natural causes.
