Betty White's Final Word Was A Heartbreaking Tribute To Her Greatest Love

Betty White's passing on New Year's Eve 2021 was heartbreaking for her fans, particularly because it came just days before she would have celebrated her 100th birthday. However, if her last words are anything to go by, the actor was ready to be reunited with the love of her life, Allen Ludden. 

A few days after White's death, her former co-star and friend Vicki Lawrence told The Hollywood Reporter that her very last word had been "Allen." Lawrence had heard about that through another friend and colleague, Carol Burnett. "She said she spoke to Betty's assistant, who was with her when she passed," Lawrence explained. "That's so lovingly sweet. I hope that is true," she added.

As some will know, White's marriage to Ludden was her third, and though he passed away in 1981, she never remarried. Asked about that in a 2011 appearance on "Anderson," she shared that no one would ever compare to Ludden. "I had the love of my life. ... If you've had the best, who needs the rest?" she chimed, prompting cheers from the audience. Ever the funnywoman, though, she did say she may make one exception. "If, then, all of a sudden, Robert Redford walks by ... " she trailed off. Jokes aside, White spoke extensively about Ludden having been her soulmate, and after her passing (and heartbreakingly, just a few days shy of his own), her friend Bob Saget shared that she'd long told him she'd get to see her beloved husband when the inevitable happened. "I don't know what happens when we die, but if Betty says you get to be with the love of your life, then I happily defer to Betty on this," Saget wrote in an emotional Instagram post. 

Those who loved Betty White's 2011 Hallmark film "The Lost Valentine" may be warmed to know that her love story with Allen Ludden had all the makings of a romance movie. They first met when White was brought on as a guest for Ludden's game show, "Password," and a few months later, co-starred in a production of "Critic's Choice." Recounting that time in an interview with The Television Academy's Foundation Interviews, White shared that he'd started proposing soon after, and though it was a joke, it became serious over time. Even so, White said no, fought with him about it, and even turned down the engagement ring he'd bought for her — but that was where things became even sweeter. "He put it on a chain around his neck, and he wore it so that whenever he'd go to the beach, whatever, there was this blinkin' wedding ring ... " she shared. Ultimately, a fluffy bunny toy with bejeweled earrings he sent her for Easter did the trick (though she joked that his poodle puppies had played a role as well). 

Sadly, White also told Foundation Interviews that she wished she'd said yes to Ludden right from the start. "I came to the point of regretting that year that I wasted saying no. I would have given anything to have had it back," she mused. Still, they did spend nearly 18 years together before his devastating death as a result of stomach cancer. 

While White wasn't buried next to her husband, the couple is nonetheless memorialized side-by-side on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. White and Ludden might not have had as much time together as they'd have liked, but they'll be forever remembered as one another's true love.