Betty White was one of the legendary actresses from the golden era of TV. She was the Queen of Sitcoms and started working in showbiz in 1939. Her name is also mentioned in ‘The Guinness Book of World Records’ for her longest acting career in the entertainment industry.
She had a beautiful smile and fantastic sense of humor, which stole many hearts throughout her acting career. She worked in hundreds of sitcoms, commercials, and films in her eight-decade-long acting career.
Her best Sitcom roles included “The Marry Tyler Moore Show,” “Golden Girls,” and “Hot in Cleveland.”
White received eight Emmy Awards in her career, three American Comedy Awards, three Screen Actor Guild Awards, and one Grammy Award. She was one of the most accomplished actresses in Hollywood.
In 1954, she hosted and produced her own variety show, “The Betty White Show” on NBC. The show became extremely popular among people and made her one of the first successful women in the TV industry.
According to Closer Weekly, the actress married thrice in her life. After the death of her third husband, Allen Ludden, with whom she spent twenty years of her life, she didn’t marry again and devoted her life to the welfare of animals. She had three step-children with Allen, whom she dearly loved.
Her first two marriages were unsuccessful, and her marriage with Ludden made Betty realize why her two marriages failed.
The couple met in 1961 on Allen’s game show Password, where Betty appeared as a guest.
“He was the most genuine man I’ve ever known,” the iconic actress once told PEOPLE. “I first fell in love with his enthusiasm. He was interested in everything.”
They tied the knot in 1963, weeks after Allen gave her a pair of diamond earrings and a stuffed bunny rabbit.
In another interview with PEOPLE, White told the publication that within weeks of their first meeting, the game show host proposed to her a joke.
White, who was not ready to wed for the third time, said, “But he wouldn’t let up. When I refused a diamond wedding ring (“Oh, I was a bitch!”), he wore it on a chain around his neck.”
Finally, on Easter 1963, she confessed her feelings for the game show host and agreed to marry her. This proved to be the best decision of her life.
The couple exchanged vows in late 1963, and White became the stepmother of Allen’s three children.
The lovebirds stayed together for nearly 18 years. In 1981, Allen passed away just five days before their 18th wedding anniversary.
In 1970, producer Lin Bolen told PEOPLE the couple was obsessed with each other.
“They’re like newlyweds. When they can’t be together at work, they call each other from their dressing rooms.”
Other than acting, Betty spent most of her free time advocating for animal rights and health. She was passionate about animals and had three dogs of her own.
“Well, I’m the luckiest old broad on two feet because my life is divided into two exact halves: half my animal work, half my show business work. I have to stay in show business to pay for my animal work,” she told Female.
She also wrote several animal welfare books and worked with organizations like LA Zoo Commission, African Wildlife Foundation, and The Morris Animal Foundation.
White was just a few weeks away from celebrating her 100th birthday when she passed on December 31, 2021. According to TMZ, the actress passed away in the comfort of her home.
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Sources: Closer Weekly – PEOPLE – Female – TMZ
