Betty White's Assistant Honors Her By Posting ‘One Of The Last Photos' Of The Beloved Actress

Jan 18, 2022 by apost team

Actress Betty White was a beloved Hollywood icon and one of the last remaining actors from the golden age of television. Her passing on Dec. 31, 2021, left people all over the world reeling from grief. Her long and respected career in show business spoke for itself — she was the queen of sitcoms and had worked in the industry since 1939, which was most of her life.

Best known for her roles in the hit shows "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," "Golden Girls" and "Hot in Cleveland," White's career spanned over 80 years. In fact, she was even recognized by the "Guinness Book of World Records" for having the longest-running career in the film and television industry.

Her lengthy career was also heavily awarded — White received eight Emmy Awards in multiple categories over the years. She also won three American Comedy Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards and one Grammy. In 1985 she was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame and even received her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. 

But her contributions to the world go far beyond entertainment. An avid lover of animals, White dedicated her life to advocating for animal health and welfare. She was a devoted pet enthusiast, had three dogs of her own and worked with a number of animal organizations, including the Los Angeles Zoo Commission, Actors and Others for Animals, African Wildlife Foundation and The Morris Animal Foundation.

January 17, 2022, would have been White's 100th birthday, and her assistant, Kiersten Mikelas, shared "one of the last photos" of the veteran star. 

On Jan. 17, 2022, White would have turned 100, and despite the fact that the star didn't make it to celebrate her centennial birthday, the public isn't letting the day fall by the wayside. People have posted to social media to continue her legacy, while the so-called Betty White Challenge is continuing on her love and dedication to animals. 

Mere days before she passed away, White posted to Twitter about her centennial birthday. She wrote:

"My 100th birthday… I cannot believe it is coming up, and People Magazine is celebrating with me!" 

Her post showed off the cover of the PEOPLE Magazine issue, which included the quote "Funny never gets old." How true that is. Sadly, the post ended up being her final one, but despite the fact that she's no longer with us, fans aren't letting her be forgotten. 

One fan took to Twitter to suggest that White should be honored as "Person of the Century" by Time Magazine. They wrote:

"1/17 Is Betty White’s 100th birthday. Let's not only make it a national holiday but feature her as Time Magazine's 'Person of the Century.'"

Meanwhile, a public celebration for her took place in her birthplace of Oak Park, Illinois over the weekend. Dubbed a "hometown hero" by one Twitter user, White's 100th birthday was celebrated with people lined up in the street. In a touching gesture, the singer of "The Golden Girls" theme song, Cindy Fee, led attendees in an acapella rendition of the song in White's honor. What a heartfelt tribute.

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White's assistant, Mikelas, also shared a special photo on Jan. 17 to commemorate White's birthday, and it has moved fans. On White's official Facebook page, Mikelas wrote,

"Hello Everyone! It’s Kiersten. Betty’s Assistant. On this special day, I wanted to share this photo of Betty. It was taken on 12/20/21. I believe it’s one of the last photos of her. She was radiant and beautiful and as happy as ever. Thanks to all of you who are doing kind things today and every day to make the world a better place ❤️"

The photograph of White showed the radiant veteran actress wearing a green satin top and white trousers, and her smile was truly joyful. It may be hard to believe that White has passed on, but her legacy lives on. 

Mikelas spoke to PEOPLE and shared her thoughts about how people have continued to remember White. "She would be so touched to see and hear that people were honoring her by donating to local groups who work so hard to rescue and rehabilitate animals. I can't think of a better tribute," Mikelas said. 

Apart from her career, White had a passion for animal rescue and PEOPLE reported that White's passing has led to more donations for various causes, especially for animal-related fundraisers.

Jeff Witjas, White's longtime friend and agent, also spoke to PEOPLE and shared his thoughts, "The outpouring of love, the amazing amount of donations being given to all types of animal organizations is such a tribute to how Betty lived her life. As Betty would say, 'Thank you from the bottom of my heart.'" 

Are you a fan of Betty White? Which is your favorite role of hers? Let us know, then pass this on so others can honor her memory too.