Betty White Dead at 99
12/31/2021, 1:45 p.m.
Betty White
TMZ reports that Beloved actress, comedian and American icon Betty White has died, just weeks before a milestone birthday.
Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Betty passed away at her home just before 9:30 AM Friday.
A trailblazer and pioneer in media, Betty had the longest running career for any woman in TV prior to her death -- starring in multiple shows over the past 8 decades, starting way back in 1939.
Betty is perhaps most famous for her lead role as Rose Nylund in "The Golden Girls," which ran from 1985 to 1992. She'd been in TONS of other big hits throughout her life though.
Betty got her start in radio in the '40s, making appearances on "Blondie," "The Great Gildersleeve," and "This is Your FBI." She eventually got her own radio program. In 1949, she began working on a TV variety show with Al Jarvis called "Hollywood on Television" -- which she later co-hosted -- before breaking out into more TV roles.
Betty won 5 Primetime Emmy Awards -- including 2 for 'Mary Tyler Moore,' 1 for "Golden Girls" and 1 for her 1975 'SNL' appearance -- along with Screen Actors Guild Awards, American Comedy Awards and even a 2012 Grammy.
As TMZ reports ... Betty had been extra cautious during the pandemic, mostly chilling at home and passing the time by reading, watching TV and doing crossword puzzles.
Betty was 99 and she would have celebrated her 100th birthday on January 17.
