Betty White—a beloved TV icon whose career spanned decades—has died at age 99.
White was born in Oak Park, Illinois, on Jan. 17, 1922.
"Even though Betty was about to be 100, I thought she would live forever," her agent and close friend Jeff Witjas told People Magazine in a statement on Dec. 31. "I will miss her terribly and so will the animal world that she loved so much."
White is best known for starring on shows such as The Mary Tyler Moore Show (in the '70s) and The Golden Girls (in the '80s). However, in 1952, she appeared in the I Love Lucy-like Life with Elizabeth, a show she also produced.
In 2009, White made a memorable turn in the film The Proposal, which stars Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds. The following year, White enjoyed a resurgence after starring on a Snickers commercial during the Super Bowl. During 2010-15, she co-starred on the show Hot in Cleveland.
In 2010, she came out in support of LGBT+ rights and equal marriage, per Yahoo! News. She told Parade magazine: "I don't care who anybody sleeps with. If a couple has been together all that time—and there are gay relationships that are more solid than some heterosexual ones—I think it's fine if they want to get married.
"I don't know how people can get so anti-something. Mind your own business, take care of your affairs, and don't worry about other people so much."
She also joked, "Gays love old ladies."
In a statement, GLAAD Head of Talent Anthony Allen Ramos said, "Betty White was an icon in the entertainment industry and a true 'friend' to the LGBTQ community. Her character Rose on The Golden Girls was instrumental in drawing mainstream attention to LGBTQ issues on television, namely an episode that raised awareness about HIV in 1990. Throughout the rest of her career, White used her platform to advocate for many issues affecting the LGBTQ community, including marriage equality and supporting at-risk queer youth."
