Who were Betty White's husbands? Iconic star, 99, fell in love three times
As the country was gearing up for the New Year celebrations, the death of Hollywood icon Betty White at the age of 99 sent the Internet into a meltdown. The legendary star was supposed to celebrate her 100th birthday on January 17 but as luck had it, the actress breathed her last on Friday, December 31. Tributes poured in on social media including President Joe Biden, her ‘The Proposal’ co-star Ryan Reynolds and ‘Star Trek’ actor George Takei among others.
Betty White died at her home due to natural causes. With a career spanning eight decades, the star showed her true potential in an early television career. She dabbled into radio first before finally making it big in movies and on the small screen. White will always be remembered for her appearance on game shows like ‘Password’, ‘Match Game’, ‘Tattletales’, ‘To Tell the Truth’, and others. The late actress also made her name with the help of roles in ‘The Golden Girls’, ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show’, ‘Hot in Cleveland’ and the 2009 movie ‘The Proposal’. While her fans know a lot about her decorated career, let’s shed some light on her personal life.
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Who were Betty White’s husbands?
Betty White got lucky in love thrice. The iconic star first walked down the aisle with Dick Barker who was a United States Army Air Forces aircraft pilot. They first got closer at the end of the second world war. The duo got married and moved to Ohio where her husband also took care of a chicken farm. However, things soon fell apart as the two headed for divorce within a year.
They reportedly first met at a dance and soon got engaged. In an interview with Closer, she said she entered the “nightmare marriage because we wanted to sleep together” adding “it lasted six months and we were in bed for six months!”
Betty White got lucky in love again
Betty White again felt the butterflies in her stomach after she met Hollywood talent agent Lane Allen. She tied the knot with the love of her life in November 1947 but called it quits shortly before completing two years. The marriage fell apart as Allen wanted her to stop working. Speaking about her second failed marriage, she told Newsweek a few years ago, “We had a couple of very good years. But he wanted me to stop working. He didn't want me to be in show business.” She added, “When you have a calling you have to follow it, so I made the choice, blew the marriage, and I've never regretted it.”
Was third time the charm?
Betty White got divorced twice before the age of 30. And, while she engrossed herself in her work whole-heartedly, the cupid struck again as she met television host and personality Allen Ludden. The two met in 1961 when Betty White was already hosting the hit game show ‘Password’ in New York City. He popped the big question during the Critics' Choice. The actress then thought he was kidding. In an interview with Television Academy, Betty earlier asserted, “Well, we were up there for three weeks, and pretty soon he didn't say hello, he'd say: "Will you marry me?" Well, it was a joke! And I'd laugh it off and he'd laugh it off and then pretty soon I came back home.”
Their love story came to an unfortunate end after Allen died from stomach cancer on June 9, 1981, at the age of 63. The duo did not have any children together but she was a stepmother to three of his children from his first marriage to Margaret McGloin Ludden. After Allen’s death, Betty decided to never marry again.
