Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Vicki Lawrence Reveals Co-Star Betty White's Achingly Poignant Final Word Before Her Death

Vicki Lawrence Reveals Co-Star Betty White's Achingly Poignant Final Word Before Her Death
Paul Archuleta/Getty Images; Vincent Sandoval/WireImage

Tributes continue pouring in for Betty White, who died of natural causes in her Brentwood home in California on December 31, 2021–just a couple of weeks shy of her 100th birthday.

The beloved actress was known for her comedic performances in sitcoms like The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1973–1977) and The Golden Girls (1985–1992), in addition to having been a panelist on several game shows–including Password, Match Game, The Hollywood Squares andThe $25,000 Pyramid.


Among the many tributes from fans and colleagues, one from her former co-stars revealed the late actress' poignant, final word.

The revelation made social media users reach for a box of tissues.


Vicki Lawrence, who worked with the beloved actress on both The Carol Burnett Show and in the spinoff 80's sitcom, Mama’s Family, said she reached out to Carol Burnett immediately after hearing of White's passing.

“I texted Carol and said ‘This just sucks. I hate this. It’s just horrible to see the people you love so much go away'," said Lawrence in a Page Six interview.

Lawrence continued to relay what Burnett heard from White's assistant, who was with the actress during her final hours.

“Carol wrote back and said, ‘I know, I know. I spoke to Betty’s assistant, who was with her when she passed, and she said the very last word out of her mouth was ‘Allen’.”

Allen was White's second husband, Allen Ludden, an emcee and American television producer and host whom she married in 1963.




The two met while she appeared as a celebrity guest on his gameshow Password in 1961.

Lawrence added:

“How sweet is that? I said, ‘That is so sweet. God, I hope that’s true. For all of us, I really hope it’s true, a lovely thought'."

Ludden passed away at the age of 63 from stomach cancer on June 9, 1981–just days shy of the couple's 18th anniversary.

White never remarried and reportedly told interviewer Larry King why she never planned to remarry for a third time.

"Once you've had the best, who needs the rest?" she said.

James Lipton once asked White on Inside the Actor's Studio what she would like God to tell her when she arrived at the Pearly Gates.

White responded:

"Come on in Betty. Here's Allen."

You can see the moment here:


Lawrence told the media outlet working with White was nothing but pure joy.

“Well, you didn’t really work with her, you just had a good time," she recalled.

"Carol called it ‘playing in the sandbox,’ and I think that’s exactly what it was. Betty was just the perfect playmate."
"And I have to say this, she was incredibly professional. I don’t remember her ever not being prepared or ever messing up her lines.”

But if there was ever one snafu to mention, it was from the one time the always punctual White was late showing up to work.

“This was before cellphones, and everybody was beside themselves because Betty was never late."
"And she walks in, in a dither, and says, ‘I’m so sorry, but I was driving here and these two golden retrievers come running out into the intersection and they’re obviously lost. I had to pull over and get them'.”

White was also known for being a pet enthusiast and a huge advocate for the welfare of animals.

Some fans and friends called for a special tribute on White's birthday, January 17, recognizing her lifelong love and advocacy for animals.

They suggested donations in her name to local animal rescues and sanctuaries.

The eight-time Emmy Award winner closely worked with organizations including the Los Angeles Zoo Commission, The Morris Animal Foundation and the African Wildlife Foundation.

Lawrence went on to praise her late friend for having been an exception when compared to Hollywood elites.

“Show business can be so disappointing when you meet people," explained Lawrence.

"But Betty was such a lovely lady, and I loved hearing her talk about early, early Hollywood."
“I was reading the other day, when she first started on television, there were only a thousand people in LA that had a TV. Like, holy sh*t, that’s just insane!"
"I feel like our number one television historian has just left us, you know? For her to reach that many generations, and be just as adored every generation, [is incredible].”

More from Entertainment/tv-and-movies

Dax Shepard; Dove Cameron
Armchair Expert

Dax Shepard Shares Sweet Reason Why Seeing One Of Dove Cameron's Tattoos Made Him Cry

*The following article contains discussion of suicide/self-harm.

A video of actor Dax Shepard getting emotional during a recent episode of his Armchair Expert podcast has gone viral.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Donald Trump
Fox News

Trump Accidentally Roasts Himself With Ironic Question About 'Stupid People'

President Donald Trump was widely mocked after he attempted to defend his disastrous tariff strategy to reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday and issued a rhetorical question about "stupid people" that said more about him than anyone else.

Trump would later declare a full 90-day suspension of all the “reciprocal” tariffs that took effect at midnight April 10—except for those on China—in a dramatic about-face from a president who had long championed his historically high tariff rates as permanent.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of Justin Bieber being hounded by paparazzi
X17OnlineVideo

Fans Defend Justin Bieber After He Confronts Paparazzi For Constantly Hounding Him

Fans defended Justin Bieber after he berated the relentless paparazzi and accused them of only being concerned with turning a profit over valuing people's lives.

According to X17, the "Intentions" singer's retreat to Palm Springs, days before the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, was anything but relaxing as he clashed with the paparazzi for a third day in a row.

Keep ReadingShow less
RFK Jr.
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

RFK Jr. Slammed After Claiming HHS Will Discover The Cause Of 'Autism Epidemic' By September

U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. declared that scientists would determine the cause of the "autism epidemic" by September, even though scientists haven't discovered a breakthrough despite decades of research.

In a cabinet meeting with Republican President Donald Trump on Thursday, RFK Jr. stated:

Keep ReadingShow less
J.D. Vance and Usha Vance listen to Susan Meyers during his Greenland visit
Jim Watson/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

Space Force Commander Fired Over Email Criticizing Vance's Greenland Comments

Vice President J.D. Vance and the wider Trump administration are facing criticism now that Colonel Susan Meyers was removed from her post as commander at Greenland's Pituffik Space Base after breaking with Vance in an email she wrote following his controversial visit to the island territory.

Greenland is an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, alongside the Faroe Islands, the only other autonomous territory within the Kingdom. Citizens of both Greenland and the Faroe Islands are full citizens of Denmark. As one of the Overseas Countries and Territories of the European Union, Greenland’s citizens are also recognized as EU citizens.

Keep ReadingShow less