Betty White, the beloved TV star of hits including “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and “The Golden Girls,” died December 31 at age 99, just weeks away from her centennial. Now, her famous friends and fans are sharing tributes to her online.
“RIP Betty White, the only SNL host I ever saw get a standing ovation at the after party. A party at which she ordered a vodka and a hotdog and stayed til the bitter end,” Seth Meyers posted on Twitter.
And Ryan Reynolds, with whom White had a long-standing, joking flirtation with online and in the press, wrote, “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.”
White was the last remaining star of “The Golden Girls,” the NBC hit that ran from 1985 to 1992 and co-starred Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan, and Estelle Getty. The popular sitcom, which has continued to run on various channels in syndication, spawned a one-season spin-off starring White called “The Golden Palace” in 1992. And though her fame rests mainly on her decades-long run in television programs — including numerous appearances on game shows including “Match Game” and “Password” — she also found a wider audience late in life with sharp comedic supporting roles in films like “The Proposal” and “Lake Placid.” She most recently lent her voice to the Disney+ streaming series of shorts “Forky Asks a Question,” as the character Bitey White opposite colleagues Carol Burnett, Carl Reiner, and Mel Brooks.
“Even though Betty was about to be 100, I thought she would live forever,” her agent and close friend Jeff Witjas told People. “I will miss her terribly and so will the animal world that she loved so much. 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.”
1) Betty White. Where do I begin? I’ve known her long, but I think the first time I met her was when she was a guest star on Suddenly Susan in the late 90s. Everyone was very excited she was on the show. I had accidentally parked in her parking spot that day. She walks in…
— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) December 31, 2021
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
Betty White : I is very hard to absorb you are not here anymore.. But the memories of your deLIGHT
are ..Thank you for yur humor , your warmth and your activism ..
Rest now and say Hi to Bill— Henry Winkler (@hwinkler4real) December 31, 2021
RIP Betty White, the only SNL host I ever saw get a standing ovation at the after party. A party at which she ordered a vodka and a hotdog and stayed til the bitter end.
— Seth Meyers (@sethmeyers) December 31, 2021
Betty White. Oh noooooooo. I grew up watching and being delighted by her. She was playful and daring and smart. We all knew this day would come but it doesn’t take away the feeling of loss. A national treasure, indeed. Fly with the Angels. ❤️
— Debra Messing✍🏻 (@DebraMessing) December 31, 2021
Man, 2021, you just couldn’t slip out without one more punch in the face, could you? So sad to hear comedy legend Betty White has passed. It’s hard to imagine a world without her. It’ll be a much less funny place, that’s for sure. RIP Genius Betty. https://t.co/7oFn6q5jWI
— Paul Feig (@paulfeig) December 31, 2021
A spirit of goodness and hope. Betty White was much beloved because of who she was, and how she embraced a life well lived. Her smile. Her sense of humor. Her basic decency. Our world would be better if more followed her example. It is diminished with her passing.
— Dan Rather (@DanRather) December 31, 2021
Rest In Peace Betty White. You were such a light in this world to so many of us. Grace and class always. Heaven shines brighter today and forever with you there with our Lord. pic.twitter.com/OIfUCmx9FQ
— Julie Chen Moonves (@JCMoonves) December 31, 2021
All of us in Times Square and around the world are grieving the loss of Betty White. She was a TV pioneer who paved the way for so many people. Beyond that, she showed us what you can accomplish in a lifetime through kindness and humor. Rest in peace to a true American icon. pic.twitter.com/J3GekFkzrj
— Ryan Seacrest (@RyanSeacrest) December 31, 2021
RIP Betty White, who created two gloriously iconic characters, as Sue Ann Nivens on the Mary Tyler Moore Show and Rose Nylund on Golden Girls. She enchanted the world, and promoted animal welfare and marriage equality. She deserves a statue in St.Olaf and everywhere else pic.twitter.com/sXABUPpMpZ
— Paul Rudnick (@PaulRudnickNY) December 31, 2021
To live 99 years is incredible. To live 99 years & be absolutely loved for all 99 of those years is a testament to your kindness, humor, talent & wit! Thank you for your inspiration & for making us all better humans. RIP Betty White. 🙏🏾❤️
— DB Woodside (@dbwofficial) December 31, 2021
A spirit of goodness and hope. Betty White was much beloved because of who she was, and how she embraced a life well lived. Her smile. Her sense of humor. Her basic decency. Our world would be better if more followed her example. It is diminished with her passing.
— Dan Rather (@DanRather) December 31, 2021
Another brilliant talent has made her transition. I had the pleasure of getting to know Betty White and shared a few giggles with her. May she rest in well-earned peace. ❤️
— Dionne Warwick (@dionnewarwick) December 31, 2021
thank you betty white for being so kind to this kid behind the scenes and for teaching me
the most important life lesson
“ sometimes life just isn’t fair kiddo “— jenny lewis (@jennylewis) December 31, 2021
RIP Betty White! Man did I think you would live forever. You blew a huge hole in this world that will inspire generations. Rest in glorious peace….you’ve earned your wings ❤️❤️❤https://t.co/7wpeLHgySy
— Viola Davis (@violadavis) December 31, 2021
What an exceptional life.
I’m grateful for every second I got to spend with Betty White.
Sending love to her family, friends and all of us.
— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) December 31, 2021
Betty White dying three weeks before she turned 100 is the final act of performer whose timing was always sharp, always unexpected, and even with the warmest of characters, always a little dangerous. No one else could live to 99 and so perfectly leave us wanting more.
— Guy Branum (@guybranum) December 31, 2021
RIP Betty White. What a unique soul she was …. Thank you for all the laughs x pic.twitter.com/XDvkIIbUsL
— Caitríona Balfe (@caitrionambalfe) December 31, 2021
#BettyWhite we will celebrate your 100th birthday and the many decades of Joy you have given the world. Rest in Power. 🙏🏼❤️💋 pic.twitter.com/3A4uMRoDP2
— Debbie Allen (@msdebbieallen) December 31, 2021
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