Everybody knows the "Golden Girl,' Betty White (who has written a cookbook) thanks to her exceptional career. For 80 years, she's been in the entertainment industry. She is known to be a pioneer in the world of television. Apart from holding a Guinness World Record, she is also the first female to create a sitcom titled Life with Elizabeth. The series got her the title, 'Mayor of Hollywood'.
However, apart from her notable works, people also remember her for her three marriages. She first got married to Dick Barker, then to Lane Allen, and finally to Allen Ludden. She voluntarily chose not to have kids but played a perfect stepmom to her last husband’s three kids. She has been taking care of them since Allen’s death. He passed due to stomach cancer.
After she lost Allen, she never tied the knot again. Here are some facts about her three marriages and two divorces.
11 The Short-Lived Relationship
The Golden Girls actress first met Dick Barker in 1945, and he was an army man. Due to World War II, she had to give up on her ambition to become an entertainer. So, she became a member of the American Women Voluntary Services and met her first husband.
Most of their courtship period was during the war. When they finally got married after World War finished, they lived together for only a couple of months. Barber also had a chicken farm in Ohio. In the end, Betty could not enjoy life as a farm wife. They eventually separated.
10 When She Gave Love Another Shot
Two years after her separation from her first husband, White tied the knot with Lane Allen in 1949. Allen wanted Betty to quit her career as an entertainer. He wanted her to stay home and take care of their family and raise their kids (which they never had). This was not in the cards. White was too ambitious, and, most importantly, didn’t want to have biological kids.
After staying together for a brief period of 2 years, they parted ways in 1951. With two failed marriages in her kitty, the comedian’s last marriage was destined to be a successful one.
9 Were The Divorces Her Fault?
Betty White was always a determined woman. She wanted to achieve her dreams and build a good life for herself. Her dreams were stalled during World War II, when she had to take up a job at the American Women Voluntary Services, as previously mentioned. She devoted her days to distributing supplies; nights were busy, as she did rousing dances for soldiers. That is when she married her first husband, Dick Barker.
She had to move to a farm with him but was soon convinced that farm life was not the kind of life she wanted. Thus, she left Ohio and her husband for good - she moved back to California to pursue her dreams. The second time, she was the one to leave her husband because of a clash of interests and different opinions about having kids. She admits that her divorces were her fault.
8 Third Time Lucky
The Guinness World Record holder regularly appeared on television game shows. She also met her third husband on the latter’s game show, Password, in 1961 - he was the host.
Allen loved her looks, her thoughts...her everything. Betty felt the same way about him. However, when Allen proposed to her, she said no, as she had some other plans. Later, they decided to get married to each other. This was an exceptional marriage for her and also the longest one. They stayed with each other for 18 years until Allen passed away, after which she never married again.
7 Her True Love
Unfortunately, Allen succumbed to cancer in 1981. He had been Betty’s one true love! She considered her 18 years with Allen to be the most beautiful time of her life. The actress once revealed to Oprah Winfrey that she did not have to remarry because she had already had the best.
Even today, when Allen has been gone for so long, she reminisces about the life they spent together. They had a special bond that was beautiful. She considers the first two marriages to be her mistakes, but Allen was no mistake.
6 When Did She Turn Down Allen?
After her second divorce, the young Betty started working as a celebrity panelist on the television game show Password. Allen Ludden, who was the host on the show, was convinced that she was the one for him. Thus, he proposed to her. Betty was also attracted to him but said no to him. She did not wish to change her life in California.
Allen was firm about marrying her, to the extent that he wore the engagement ring rejected by Betty around his neck until he made her change her mind. He wore the ring for a year. Betty regrets saying no to Allen when he first proposed. She feels that she wasted one year, which they could have spent together as man and wife.
5 When She Chose To Be A Stepmom
Before marrying Betty White, Ludden was married to Margaret McGloin, who died due to cancer in 1961. A year after her death, the father of three met the legendary actress on his television game show, Password.
Ludden was highly impressed by her personality. After a few struggles, they tied the knot in 1963. Allen already had three kids, so she became a stepmom. He had a son, David, and two daughters, Sarah and Martha. After Allen passed away, White was like a mom to his kids, taking care of them like they were her own.
4 Why She Never Wanted Biological Kids
Betty White is known for her more than 80-year career and her achievements in the entertainment industry. The 98-year-old does not plan to retire anytime soon. She says that if someone called her, asking her to appear on a television show, she would go.
When asked about having biological children, she says that she never wanted to have kids as she tried to keep all her focus on work. She knew that once she had kids, all her focus would go on them, and she would never be able to achieve what she wanted from her career.
3 Her Love Story With Allen
Betty White married a trio of times, but her best union was with her last husband, Allen Ludden. She found Allen to be kind and warm-hearted. They were madly in love with each other and spent almost two decades together before Allen died. Betty was 59 then.
When the Golden Girls actor learned of her husband’s fatal disease, she decided to fill every day of his life with love and joy. Their romance was so memorable.
She considers her first two marriages as dress rehearsals and the third one to be the real thing.
2 Betty As A Stepmom
Betty never had kids because of her tight work schedule. However, she played mom to three of Allen’s biological kids by his late first wife, Margret. She has stated that it would not have been possible for her to focus on her career or her stepkids if she had her own kids. After Betty married Allen, the two moved in together, along with Allen’s three kids. The family of five had to adjust to the new place and build new lives together.
1 Being A Mother Of Three
After Allen’s death, Betty took full charge of the kids and played the role of a mother as best she could. She was a renowned name in the industry, and thus it was difficult for her to give the kids a normal life or spare them from the spotlight.
None of the kids followed in the footsteps of their stepmom. Still, Betty feels proud of each of them.