Betty White passes away: Throwback to when veteran actor said she 'wasn't afraid of death'

Veteran actor Betty White passed away at the age of 99 on Friday, just a few days before her 100th birthday. White’s death was confirmed on December 31 by Jeff Witjas, her longtime agent and friend. The veteran actor would have turned 100 on January 17. Witjas told AP, "I truly never thought she was going to pass away. She meant the world to me as a friend. She was the most positive person I’ve ever known." 

As the entire nation mourned the death of the Golden Girls actor, an old interview of Betty White has resurfaced where she said that she wasn't afraid of death. 

When Betty White said she wasn't afraid of death

As per People, in an interview with New York Times columnist Frank Bruni, Betty White said that she had "no fear or dread of death." White cited her mother's own optimistic approach to death and said, "My mother had a wonderful approach to death. She always thought of it as — she said, 'We know we have managed to find out almost anything that exists, but nobody knows ... what happens at that moment when it's over'." 

She added, "I have no fear or dread of death, but I'm happy as a lark to stay around as long as I can." Ahead of her 100th birthday, the actor was featured on the cover of People Magazine and expressed her excitement. She said, "I'm so lucky to be in such good health and feel so good at this age. It's amazing." She also shared the cover on her Instagram that happened to be her last post. 

Betty White's most notable roles include Sue Ann Nivens on the CBS sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1973–1977), Rose Nylund on the NBC sitcom The Golden Girls (1985–1992), and Elka Ostrovsky on the TV Land sitcom Hot in Cleveland (2010–2015). She gained renewed popularity after her appearance in the 2009 romantic comedy film The Proposal (2009), and was asked to host Saturday Night Live in 2010 gaining her a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series.

Her close friend Jeff Witjas told AP that White had been staying close to her Los Angeles home during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic out of caution but had no diagnosed illness. It was unclear if she died Thursday night or Friday, he added.

Image: AP