Our beloved Betty White left us on the last day of 2021, just days before her big 100th birthday celebration on January 17th. People Magazine put Betty on their cover in anticipation of her 100th birthday and a documentary film on Betty’s life was going to be released for one day on her birthday. But Betty in her infinite wisdom got the last damn laugh by deciding that 100 was a milestone she really didn’t need to achieve. The one thing Betty’s death proved was how beloved she was around the world. Betty’s reach transcended race, gender, sexual orientation, and generations. And despite being 99 years old, it felt too soon for Betty to be leaving us. Many people who loved Betty spent the weekend having a Golden Girls marathon, and others expressed their love for Betty. Celebrity tributes poured in. Below are a few tributes including from President Biden and Robert Redford:
NBC tweeted out love and thanked her for being a friend:
Thank you for being our friend.
NBC will miss our Golden Girl. pic.twitter.com/J2EEGxxuHZ
— NBC Entertainment (@nbc) December 31, 2021
SNL re-aired the episode that Betty hosted in 2010 and also tweeted about her impact on the show:
Rest in Peace, Betty White ❤️
Watch Betty’s episode of SNL tonight on NBC. pic.twitter.com/7W5CjxiKvG
— Saturday Night Live – SNL (@nbcsnl) January 1, 2022
Betty White
SNL Monologue
May 8, 2010
🌹🌹🌹🌹— Holly Robinson Peete 💃🏾♍️ (@hollyrpeete) January 2, 2022
Bestie and “ex-lover” (an inside joke) Ryan Reynolds, whom Betty said could never get over her, tweeted his sadness:
The world looks different now. She was great at defying expectation. She managed to grow very old and somehow, not old enough. We’ll miss you, Betty. Now you know the secret. pic.twitter.com/uevwerjobS
— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) December 31, 2021
Long time friend, Betty’s crush and Ryan Reynolds’ rival, Robert Redford, released a statement to People saying that he too had a crush on Betty.
President Biden and First Lady Jill also sent out their tributes.
Betty White brought a smile to the lips of generations of Americans. She’s a cultural icon who will be sorely missed. Jill and I are thinking of her family and all those who loved her this New Year’s Eve.
— President Biden (@POTUS) December 31, 2021
Besides an illustrious acting career, Betty also served in the army during WWII. The U.S. Army account tweeted out their tribute and commended Betty for her service:
We are saddened by the passing of Betty White.
Not only was she an amazing actress, she also served during WWII as a member of the American Women's Voluntary Services.
A true legend on and off the screen. pic.twitter.com/1HRDYCeV7w
— U.S. Army (@USArmy) December 31, 2021
Forever first lady Michelle Obama tweeted out a picture of Betty with Bo, the Obama’s Portuguese water dog that passed away and I almost cried:
Betty White broke barriers, defied expectations, served her country, and pushed us all to laugh. Barack and I join so many around the world who will miss the joy she brought to the world. I know our Bo is looking forward to seeing her up in heaven. pic.twitter.com/tVL7NUw2TT
— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) January 1, 2022
Cedric the Entertainer shared a clip singing with Betty:
Last but not least, Don Cheadle credits Betty for helping his family find their veterinarian:
an attempt to accommodate for it. nobody asked her to do it. and that's just one small example of her overflowing generosity. my dogs thank her too. she gave us our veterinarian reco who we still see to this day. she was the goldenest of them all and will be forever missed.💔 pic.twitter.com/9xjLNgJaX1
— Don" 't ask me google questions" Cheadle (@DonCheadle) January 1, 2022
There were so many clips of Betty working with other actors floating around that it felt more like a celebration of Betty’s life instead of sadness. I also enjoyed people discovering how Betty helped Black tap dancer, Arthur Duncan, launch his career back in the 1954 by having him on her show. Betty’s variety show ended up being canceled because she refused to bow to the racist ideals of the executives and fans who did not want Duncan on Betty’s show. Betty definitely was a trailblazer and an amazing human being. Even though we have lost a star, the brightness of Betty’s legacy will shine on for eternity. We’ll miss you Betty and we hope that your reunion with your love Allen Ludden and the other Golden Girls is lit!
She made us laugh. Thank you Betty White. RIP. pic.twitter.com/d6XeLrlnm1
— Pete Souza (@PeteSouza) December 31, 2021
Only President Obama could top Betty White!! This is Awesome!! SOUND UP
pic.twitter.com/KEDisHfSOw— Chuck And Jim 🏳️🌈 👬🐻🌪🌊🌎 #IDWP (@fireman452a) January 2, 2022
They don’t make stars like Betty anymore. 😢
I saw the Golden Girls clip about the Herring Wars on another compilation of tributes, I was laughing as hard as Bea and Rue by the end and apparently she was ad-libbing the scene. She was spectacular.
Her comedic timing was absolutely impeccable. 🤩 Just wow.
THAT is my favorite scene of the Golden Girls. It is absolutely hilarious. 😀
Rose: … and the Lindstroms wanted to train them for the circus.
Blanche: Weren’t they kind of hard to see riding on the elephants?
Rose: Oh, not that kind of circus. A herring circus. Sort of like Sea World, only smaller. Much, much smaller. But bigger than a flea circus.
That was a hysterically funny scene. As was The Great Shapiro OBGMag
I’ve watched GG over and over since the original run, and that scene still cracks me up. I don’t know how Bea and Rue held on as long as they did, or how Betty never, ever broke character. Rose’s wide eyed innocence and obliviousness was a thing of beauty.
That Obama clip above is great too.
That was so great!!
I really love her. She was wonderful. I couldn’t do a GG marathon this past weekend but next weekend it’s me and the girls for sure. It’s some of the best TV ever made.
We should all aspire to be the kind of person Betty was. I know no human being is perfect, but damn, she was close. Heaven is shining a little brighter today.
You know someone was well loved when they pass peacefully at 99 and we all still feel it was too soon! RIP Betty, I hope she is indeed with her Allan again.
Her and all of the Golden Girls were important to me. I’ve always been a Golden Girls fan. In the first couple of years of my marriage, we lived in a small apartment in a not so great area. My husband worked overnight security, so I was home alone at night a lot. Before going to bed, I would put on a Golden Girls DVD and fall asleep laughing. I can still recite many episodes by heart. RIP Betty. You are so missed!
I was so saddened by her passing. Golden Girls, Mama’s Family, the Mary Tyler Moore Show. Betty White was such a big part of my childhood and happy memories. I was watching the TVLand marathon tribute this weekend and they showed the episode of Hot in Cleveland where all the ladies from Mary Tyler Moore Show reunited and I started bawling. At least she knew how much she was loved while she was still here. May she rest in peace and I really hope she is reunited with her beloved Allen.
I’ve never seen the President Obama clip 🥺😍 That was GOLD! Teared up reading all the tributes. Thank you Oya. R.I.P. Betty White
As a kid I watched GG’s every Saturday. As an adult I watched some of the marathon this weekend. That show was crazy raunchy and still holds up. So many amazing actresses in 30 minutes. The world is a little darker with Betty White gone. You are/were loved Ms. White. I can’t think of anyone who could play you in the eventual bio-pic. You truly are one of a kind.
A friend of mine said this on her FB page – Imagine living a live so wonderful, so kind, so full that when you die at 99, people still feel you could have lived longer….all of us should aspire to live our lives like Betty did”.
Seeing Ryan Reynolds post about BW and their friendship over the years, makes me wonder/wish if he named his third daughter Betty for her. ( Not that it matters, but just something I wonder )
I had never seen her SNL episode so I watched it the other night and got choked up several times. It seems so appropriate that she hosted the Mother’s Day episode.
It’s crazy, because I know she was 99 years old, but I was absolutely shocked when I heard she died. And she was literally so special that I had coworkers and friends calling me to ask me if heard the news about Betty White and being sad. She was very beloved.
Betty truly was the greatest. I watched a few Golden Girls episodes last night, and they still hold up. Even when you know the next line, their timing and delivery are just so perfect, you crack up as if it if you were watching it for the first time. That’s a rarity.