Who are Betty White’s children? Actress hailed as a ‘great stepmom’ after death
"2021 you suck," one Twitter user said on the last day of the year. The reason? Wrapping up an incredibly bad year, we have some more bad news - Betty White is no more. The beloved actress died of natural causes at her home in Los Angeles on December 31, just days shy of her 100th birthday. She is survived by Allen's three children he had from a previous marriage, as well as the millions of fans who will no doubt miss her incredibly.
So far, few details are available about Betty's death. It has been reported she died of natural causes and was not suffering from any sickness or illness at the time. Betty died at her Los Angeles home, where she has spent the last two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Emergency responders showed up outside the home in the affluent neighborhood of Brentwood in the morning, and by 11:45 am it was confirmed she had died.
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It's unclear if White was alone at the time of her death. After the death of her third husband Allen Ludden in 1981, Betty never remarried. She also never became a mom, and instead helped Ludden raise his three children - David, Martha, and Sarah.
Who are Betty White's stepkids?
Despite having two extremely famous parents and one even more famous stepmom, David and his siblings chose not to pursue a career in the film industry, and stay out of the public spotlight altogether. Instead, they opted for a more quiet life away from the media.
David Ludden is the eldest of Betty's stepkids, born in 1948. According to reports, he went on to obtain his Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1978 and later joined the university as a history professor. He served on the faculty till 2007, before moving to New York University (NYU). With a focus on South East Asia, David directed Penn State's South Asia programs, the Social Science Research Council, and the Fulbright Senior Scholars program. He is currently serving as NYU's professor of history at their Abu Dhabi campus.
Born in 1950, Martha Ludden reportedly had issues with her stepmom. According to reports, she was "deeply opposed" to her dad's marriage to Betty, and even "did not like Betty." But it appears over time, those issues have healed. Little is known about her professional career, but it's reported she obtained a law degree in 1989. A LinkedIn profile believed to belong to Martha lists her as a retired lawyer, who currently volunteers at AARP. She also appears to be a vocal Democrat, with her bio saying "I’m hoping to work with organizations that are pushing to win lots of seats in Congress for Democrats."
Sarah Ludden was born just two years after Martha and reportedly played a crucial role in the fights between Martha and Betty. But she's also equally famous for her professional achievements. Starting out as a dancer, Sarah went on to become an accomplished Karate master. In fact, she became so successful she even opened her own school - Thousand Waves with her partner Nancy Lanoue. The Chicago school even has its own scholarship fund, offering more than $100,000 of tuition assistance. It appears that since, Sarah has retired and is enjoying a quiet life in Chicago, unlike her mom who worked right till the very end.