Betty White dead at 99, weeks before her 100th birthday

Actress Betty White poses for a portrait in Los Angeles on June 9, 2010. White died Friday just short of her 100th birthday.

Matt Sayles, Associated Press

Actress Betty White has died. She was 99.

“Even though Betty was about to be 100, I thought she would live forever,” her agent and close friend Jeff Witjas said a statement on Friday, per People.

• “I will miss her terribly and so will the animal world that she loved so much. I don’t think Betty ever feared passing because she always wanted to be with her most beloved husband Allen Ludden. She believed she would be with him again.”

TMZ also confirmed the news through law enforcement sources.

Her death comes weeks before her 100th birthday, which she was gearing up to celebrate with her fans on Jan. 17 through the movie “Betty White: 100 Years Young — A Birthday Celebration.”

White, known as “America’s sweetheart,” was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1995 and won eight Emmys.

• The actress got her big break in 1949 when she co-hosted Al Jarvis’ live variety show “Hollywood on Television,” per TVLine. Two years later, she was nominated for her first Emmy. White starred in hit series like “The Golden Girls” and “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.”
• She also starred in “The Proposal” with Sandra Bullock, who had nothing but praises for the veteran actress.
• “Timing isn’t easy in comedy, because you have to navigate other people’s timing. Betty pivots like I have never seen, making it look seamless,” Bullock said. “The rest of us just remain silent and pray we’re not cut out of the scene.”

White preferred to live a quieter life toward the end, playing crossword puzzles and card games, per CNN. She also enjoyed watching wildlife documentaries, “Jeopardy!” and golf.