Hollywood is currently mourning the death of a legend. Born on January 17, 1922, Betty White lived for 99 years and died on December 31, 2021. The actress cum comedian is fondly remembered for being among the pacesetters of television work in the industry.
Her storied career spanned several decades and sectors, including numerous credits across sitcoms, comedy series, game shows, romance flicks, and many more. The icon also garnered a barrage of awards over the years, standing out as one of the oldest actresses on television before her demise.
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For White, she simply never felt the need to retire and kept on featuring in different works even while she progressed in age. She gave all her best, kept nothing back, and was simply unstoppable. This is barely surprising as the acting maestro had “no fear or dread of death.”
Betty White Was Not Frightened By Death
Having some death anxiety is a normal human feeling. For some people, the inevitability of their demise makes them get anxious endlessly. However, like a trailblazer, White lived her life without worries about dying.
During an interview with New York Times’ ‘Times Talk’ in 2012, the actress revealed the reason behind her mentality. White referenced that her mother was the progenitor of the belief, and she was merely following in her footstep.
“My mother had a wonderful approach to death,” White stated. “She said, ‘We have managed to find out almost anything that exists, but nobody knows … what happens at that moment when it’s over.’ She said, ‘It’s the one secret that we don’t know.'”
The icon continued, “So whenever we would lose somebody very close and very dear, she would always say, ‘Well, now he knows the secret.’ And it took the curse off of it somehow.”
Recalling those words helped White stay true to its tenets. As a result, she had “no fear or dread of death” even after her mother passed on.
Betty White Feared The Process Of Dying
Although White strongly asserted that she had no fear of death, she once revealed her dread for something else. In her 1987 autobiography, the icon admitted that she feared the process of dying but tried not to spend time worrying about it.
“Fear of death is not one of my problems … only of the dying. The how and not when of it,” she said. “Getting there is not half the fun, and the fear of doing it in a bad way could be of concern if I wanted to waste time thinking about it. I don’t.”
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She continued: “I figure I will improvise when the time comes … some things are better without rehearsal.”
Candidly, one would agree that White’s fear was valid, as many will prefer to die peacefully than pass on after battling with a debilitating illness.
Betty White’s Early Experience With Death
White lived for several decades and most likely saw many of her family members, friends, and colleagues depart for the great beyond. However, her first recollection of death came when she lost one of her pets.
In her book, White revealed that her parents handled the ordeal so well that it later helped her process her emotions following the demise of a member of her family. The next was her grandmother, and from her previous experience, White similarly handled the grief.
She took solace in knowing that her grandmother was now “free.” It enabled her to move forward with her life after the morning period. Moving on, White only called to mind the good times they had together.
Betty White Died Just Before Her 100th Birthday
White 100th birthday was just around the corner before she died. As reported by TMZ, she “didn’t have any sudden illness, nor was she battling any particular ailment,” but passed on peacefully in her sleep at her home.
Upon her death, several Hollywood legends released statements of condolence. Even many television stations broke off regular programming to air the news. The joint act from all corners showed how much White was loved and reverenced.
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Sadly, Betty did not live to see the debut of her documentary-styled movie, “Betty White: 100 Years Young – A Birthday Celebration,” scheduled to hit the theatres on her birthday. The film had a star-filled cast that included Ryan Reynolds, Tina Fey, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, and many more.
Fortunately, the showrunners have decided to stick with the release date, giving fans a memento to cherish in the days to come.
