A Golden Girl with a golden union. Betty White passed away just weeks before her 100th Birthday, but the iconic actress had enough love for her to last two lifetimes.
White, who was 99 years old, died December 31, 2021. She left behind an amazing legacy. The Mary Tyler Moore Show alum was halfway to an EGOT at the time of her death, having won the 2012 Grammy for Best Spoken Word Recording for her narration of her 2011 memoir, If You Ask Me (And Of Course You Won’t)Multiple Emmys. The legendary actress was also awarded two lifetime achievement awards for her work in the industry. She won the coveted trophy at 2009 Screen Actors Guild Awards as well as the gold statuette at 2015 Emmy Awards.
A critically-acclaimed career that spans over eight decades in television was not only a highlight of his life, but also a source of great joy. Golden GirlsThe alum was equally successful in her personal life. Though she was married three times — first, to Dick Barker, for less than a year in 1945, and second, to Lane Allen, from 1947 to 1949 — it was White’s relationship with her third husband, Allen Ludden, that not only stood the test of time, but served as a romantic inspiration for her fans around the world.
The pair, who met on the set of Password in 1961 — Ludden was the host of the game show — went on to tie the knot in 1963. Although they had no children, White became the stepmother to his three children after he married the game show host. Ludden and his first wife Margaret McGloin had three children together, Sarah, Martha, and David.
The Hot in ClevelandTelevision personality and alum were married for 18-years before the game host died from stomach cancer in 1981.
Thirty years later, when questioned by Anderson Cooper why she never went on to date or remarry after Ludden, White responded, “When you’ve had the best, who needs the rest?” In 2015, she revealed that her one regret was not marrying Ludden sooner.
Days after the Proposal star’s death in late 2021, Mama’s Family actress Vicki Lawrence — who costarred with White on the hit sitcom — told The Hollywood Reporter that White’s assistant revealed that the actress’ last word was “Allen.”
Keep scrolling to see White and Ludden’s relationship timeline:
