Fans were devastated at the loss of Hollywood legend Betty White on New Year's Eve. Just shy of her 100th birthday, the actress passed away of natural causes, as reported by People.
Now, Betty's longtime friend and former co-star Vicki Lawrence is sharing emotional details about the actresss' final days, and what she was told was Betty's final word.
"Even though Betty was about to be 100, I thought she would live forever," he said.
"I will miss her terribly and so will the animal world that she loved so much."
"She believed she would be with him again," he added.
Betty's Hot in Clevland costar Valerie Bertinelli was one of the first stars to post a tribute.
"Rest In Peace, sweet Betty. My God, how bright heaven must be right now," she wrote.
"The world looks a little 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."
"RIP Betty White, the only SNL host I ever saw get a standing ovation at the after party," he tweeted.
"A party at which she ordered a vodka and a hotdog and stayed til the bitter end."
As fans of the beloved actress know, Betty was a huge advocate for animals and this would be such a meaningful project.
As fans will recall, Vicki and Betty worked together on The Carol Burnett show and continued their friendship up until Betty's tragic passing.
"I hadn’t been able to reach her lately. I wrote her a long letter a while back but she did not answer, which was unlike her," she recalled, as per Page Six.
"I knew she was not well, and this was coming, but it was still sad not to hear from her."
She then revealed an emotional detail about Betty's final word.
As fans know, the actress and her late husband Allen Ludden were married for 18 years before his passing in 1981.
I think I speak for all of us when I say we hope that's true, too. What a beautiful relationship that clearly meant the world to Betty, even long after Allen passed.
Now that is the ultimate love story.
RIP Betty White.
