
The charismatic and legendary Betty White passed away this week at the age of 99, less than three weeks before her 100th birthday.
The trailblazing TV star's career spanned eight decades, including her iconic and unforgettable roles in The Golden Girls and The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
But as she so perfectly put it in an interview, "in the middle of all that, was the greatest love of my life. I had 18 wonderful years with Allen Ludden."
Here we look back at Betty's "true love": her beloved late husband Allen.
Betty White's Saturday Night Live Monologue. Post continues below.
Video via SNL.
Betty White and Allen Ludden's love story.
In 1961, in her late 30s, Betty appeared on the popular American television program, Password. Hosting the game show was veteran TV personality Allen Ludden.
Speaking about their meeting, Betty reflected: "The host was very charming and very attractive."
My First Memories of Betty White's Gift to entertain where before Color Television on the game show Password hosted by her husband . Alan Luden #iconLady pic.twitter.com/HSZpAjnaBF
— Jim Mason (@JimJmason) December 31, 2021
What Betty didn't come to know until later was that during filming, Allen's wife, Margaret McGloin, was dying of cancer. Margaret passed during the week Betty appeared on the show.
"He had these three kids who had lost their mother, who were nine, 10 and 13 at the time. And somehow, we all became instant friends," Betty recalled to the Archive of American Television.
"He was so nice and we felt like we knew each other."
While the pair got to know one another, Betty was steady with someone else. But Allen kept asking Betty to marry him.