What Betty White's Agent Revealed About Her Death
Betty White came into American living rooms, playing roles as a variety of colorful characters since the 1950s, with perhaps her most famous being 'Happy Homemaker' Sue Ann Nivens on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" in the 1970s, and Rose Nylund on "The Golden Girls" in the 1980s (via Biography). When news of her passing made ripples through the entertainment world and beyond on the evening of December 31, 2021, Americans mourned the loss of a legend who couldn't help but put a smile on your face as she smiled her way through life for nearly a century.
According to TMZ, White didn't seem to be ill and died of natural causes at about 9:30 a.m. PST. The actress was at home, a place she rarely left over the last two years as the world battled COVID-19, a virus that can cause more severe illness in senior citizens. TMZ published photographs of fans creating makeshift memorials at her house before White's longtime agent released a statement on how the beloved performer passed.
Betty White left this Earth peacefully weeks before she would have turned 100
Although news of Betty White's death devastated Americans and others across the world, her agent and close friend Jeff Witjas told People that she didn't suffer during her last hours. "[Betty White] died peacefully in her sleep at her home early this morning," he told People after releasing an initial statement paying tribute to his longtime client.
"Even though Betty was about to be 100, I thought she would live forever," Witjas said (per 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." Ludden was White's third husband, who she was wed to from 1963 until his death in 1981 (via Biography).
White herself was optimistic about the centennial birthday that never happened, telling People how wonderful she felt in their cover story about her life as she got ready to celebrate 100 years.
"I'm so lucky to be in such good health and feel so good at this age. It's amazing," the legendary comedienne said, before adding, "I got it from my mom, and that never changed. I always find the positive."