BETTY WHITE ‘MY LIFE AT 98'
SHE’S MAKING JOKES, COUNTING HER BLESSINGS AND LOOKING FORWARD TO WHATEVER COMES NEXT
In the early afternoon before the sun gets too strong, Betty White likes to visit the garden of her long-time home in LA’S Brentwood neighborhood with her beloved golden retriever, Pontiac. She enjoys checking on the growth of her flowers and might clip a few roses to decorate her dining room table.
At 98, this comedy legend is still going strong. Neither age nor the frightening news of the recent pandemic has robbed her of her energy, trademark humour or high spirits – although Betty admits that, physically, she is a little “creaky.”
She sometimes uses a walker around her home, but she’s grateful to feel good and have no major health issues at her age. “I’m blessed with incredibly good health,” she told Closer Weekly. “That’s something you appreciate a lot.” Amid the coronavirus outbreak, Betty has been staying home, where she has a routine to keep her busy.
“[Every morning] she reads the LA Times cover to cover.
“She also reads a couple of other newspapers and does two full crossword puzzles every single day,” says Tom Sullivan, her close friend of more than 50 years.
“She owns literally thousands of crossword puzzle books and is constantly doing them to keep her mind jumping. This is really serious with her.”
Unfortunately, weekly game nights at Betty’s home have been put on hold until after the pandemic is over. Playing
Scrabble with her pals while gossiping and reminiscing is something she always looks forward to.
Recently, Betty’s attempted to gather her group online. “She’s tried Zooming her
Scrabble game with her friends, but it’s not quite the same,” concedes a pal.
NEVER REALLY ALONE
Betty doesn’t feel lonely because she often speaks with her friends and her stepchildren – she has three from her 18-year marriage to the late Password
host Allen Ludden. Her Hot in Cleveland co-stars Valerie Bertinelli, Wendie Malick and Jane Leeves have also been in touch. “You get to fall in love with everybody when you work on a show,” Betty says. “And they were so much fun.”
Of course, Betty has been a showbiz staple for eight decades. The actress will sometimes stop on one of her old reruns if she comes across it on television.
“She’s been known to watch The Mary Tyler Moore Show and the occasional Love Boat
episode,” her friend shares. She mostly binges on game show favourites like Family Feud, Wheel of Fortune and The Price is Right. That’s no surprise, as Betty’s own television career included hundreds of hilarious appearances on game shows.
She even met her last husband Allen, who passed away in 1981, when she guest-starred on his longrunning series Password in 1961. “You name it, I’ve played it,” Betty wrote in her memoir Here We Go Again: My Life in Television. “Not just because I was hired to do so, but because it was so much fun.”
HER FAVOURITE THINGS
At home, Betty does get a little help from her longtime assistant, who orders grocery deliveries to the house.
The actress may be a five-time Emmy winner, but she is no diva and likes to keep things simple. “Betty doesn’t have a huge appetite and has never been a foodie,” explains the friend, who adds that the stories about Betty enjoying a hot dog every day for lunch on the set of Hot in Cleveland are
“BETTY LOVES TO JOKE THAT VODKA KEEPS HER YOUNG”
true. “She still loves hot dogs and french fries,” confides the pal. Betty also still occasionally cooks for herself, although she likes to stick to the basics.
“Every now and then, she will go to the kitchen and whip up a grilled cheese sandwich,” says the friend. “She won’t make soup from scratch, but she’ll open up a can of tomato soup and heat that up to go with her sandwich.”
And when a craving for snack food hits, Betty likes to indulge in potato chips, Peppermint Patties or Red Vines licorice. As for her other indulgences, Betty’s alcoholic drink of choice is a vodka martini – but despite all the quips she makes about enjoying a tipple, she never imbibes to excess.
“Betty loves to joke that vodka keeps her young,” her friend says with a laugh. “She loves the image of her sitting at home in a rocking chair, drinking a martini and watching game shows, but she’s not really a big drinker. That’s not her.”
A CHARMED LIFE
Her reputation as a kindhearted, good-natured, funny lady is spot-on. Betty always looks on the bright side. “She is actually counting down the days until her 99th birthday – which isn’t until January. But that is Betty, always positive and forever looking ahead,” says the friend.