Betty White suffered a stroke days before her death at her LA home, certificate reveals

KABC logo
Tuesday, January 11, 2022
Betty White died of stroke, death certificate reveals
Betty White suffered a stroke six days before her Dec. 31 death at age 99, according to her death certificate.

LOS ANGELES -- Betty White died on Dec. 31 from a stroke she suffered six days earlier, according to her death certificate.

The beloved "Golden Girls" and "Mary Tyler Moore Show" actor died at age 99 at her home in the Brentwood section of Los Angeles as the result of a Dec. 25 cerebrovascular accident, the medical term for a stroke, according to the LA County death certificate obtained Monday by The Associated Press.

The cause was provided by White's doctor, as is typical in such cases.

She was cremated and her remains were given Friday to Glenn Kaplan, the man in charge of White's advanced health care directive.

Jeff Witjas, White's longtime agent and friend, who first confirmed her death to the AP, said she had been staying close to her Los Angeles home during the pandemic.

Earlier, Witjas had dismissed rumors that the legendary actress died from complications from a COVID-19 booster shot.

The document lists White's legal name of Betty Marion Ludden. She took the last name of her husband Allen Ludden, to whom she was married from 1963 until his death in 1981.

White, whose comic chops and up-for-anything charm made her a television mainstay for more than 60 years who was celebrated by several generations of fans, died less than three weeks before her 100th birthday on Jan. 17.

President Joe Biden, Mel Brooks, and many other celebrities and prominent leaders paid tribute to her after her death.

READ MORE | How Betty White shaped animal advocacy in Los Angeles: 'We will miss our friend for life'

Betty White was a well-known animal lover and worked closely with several L.A. animal organizations, including the spcaLA and the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association.

The award-winning actress was best known for her television role as Sue Ann Nivens on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and Rose Nylund on "The Golden Girls." Her most recent roles were playing Elka Ostrovsky in "Hot in Cleveland" and hosting the practical jokes show "Betty White's Off Their Rockers."