Details On Betty White & Allen Ludden's 18-Year Romance

Jul 02, 2021 by apost team

Betty White is an icon in the film and television industry. At the age of 99, White is still a dominating figure in the industry and is still making a lasting impression on many people across the world. The actress has been working since the late 1930s and started receiving great recognition during the 1950s. By the time it had come around to be the 1980s, White was already a household name and a regular on sitcoms thanks to her witty nature and undeniable talent.

Her beautiful personality and bold voice have helped carry White through the challenging times of working in the entertainment industry and have also helped make her a favorite with fans and critics alike. The star has never shied away from doing what’s right and making her voice heard. With so many positive qualities, it was only time until White found someone to embrace her for exactly who she is.

She has been married a total of three times over the course of her life, but one marriage in particular really stood out to White. Her marriage to Allen Ludden lasted an incredible 18 years until Ludden passed away in 1981. During their time together, White and Ludden celebrated many romantic moments together and shared a deep and real love with one another. While White has not been able to find someone else who can make her feel quite like Ludden did, she has thrived on her own while still sharing stories and memories in honor of her love with her late husband.

White was born on Jan. 17, 1922, in Oak Park, Illinois. Contrary to popular belief, White’s real first name is actually Betty, as it’s not a nickname for Elizabeth like usual. Her family moved to Alhambra, California, just a year after she was born, and later to Los Angeles. White went on to attend Beverly Hills High School and graduated in 1939. When her passion for wildlife was unable to become a reality due to women not being allowed to be rangers during this time, White sought out another career venture and discovered her love for writing and performing, thus leading her to pursue a career in acting.

Just a few months after she graduated from high school, White began her television career. She worked at the Bliss Hayden Little Theatre and also found work modeling. However, she decided to put her career on hold when World War II broke out, and she volunteered for the American Women’s Voluntary Services.

Afterward, White quickly went back to pursuing her passion for performing but struggled to find jobs in television and film. She was able to land a few gigs with radio stations and was eventually offered her very own radio show titled “The Betty White Show.” In 1949, the rising star was finally able to make her way back to television and appeared as a co-host with Al Jarvis on the variety show “Hollywood on Television.” Early on in her career, White worked long hours for little or no money but preserved so she could live out her dreams. In 1951, her hard work was finally recognized, and she was nominated for her first Emmy Award for Best Actress. 

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In 1952, she began hosting “Hollywood on Television” by herself after Jarvis had left the show. Alongside writer George Tibbles and producer Don Fedderson, White created new shows using existing characters from “Hollywood on Television” sketches. This led to the creation of “Life with Elizabeth,” a TV comedy in which White portrayed the leading character that ran from 1952 until 1955. This was revolutionary for White’s career as she was one of the few women to have such creative control both in front of and behind the camera, all while still being incredibly young. Also in 1955, White became the honorary mayor of Hollywood, appointed by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.

White went on to host and produce her own daily talk show on NBC called “The Betty White Show,” the second time she had used that title. She continued to have creative control and even hired a female director. Unfortunately, the show received criticism for having Arthur Duncan on the show because of his race, but White was adamant about keeping him on the program and even gave him more airtime. “I’m sorry, but he stays… live with it!” White said. However, the network canceled the series by the end of 1954.

Throughout the 1960s, White continued on her path of being a staple on televised game shows, including “Password,” “What’s My Line?” and “Match Game,” among many others. This is also the time that White finally made her film debut when she starred in the 1962 drama “Advise and Consent.” Verging into the 1970s, White found amazing success on sitcoms. She starred as Sue Ann Nivens on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” which earned the actress her second and third Emmy Awards.

She reached another monumental milestone in her career in 1983 when she became the first woman to win a Daytime Emmy Award in the category of Outstanding Game Show Host. White has done an excessive amount of excellent work in the category over the span of her career, giving her the nickname the First Lady of Game Shows. During the 1980s, White’s career took off even more with a recurring role on the TV series “Mama’s Family” and a starring role on “The Golden Girls.”

Despite being cast as Rose Nylund, White had originally auditioned for the role of Blanche, and McClanahan was going to play the part of Rose. However, the director worried about type-casting, resulting in the two actresses switching roles. “The Golden Girls” went on to be one of White’s most successful projects as she starred alongside Bea Arthur, Estelle Getty, and Rue McClanahan. Its run from 1985 until 1992 received rave reviews and garnered a plenitude of fans and a plethora of awards.

The character of Rose Nylund stuck with White for many years, as she went on to portray her on four different television shows over the course of her career, including “The Golden Palace,” “Nurses,” “Empty Nest” and, of course, “The Golden Girls.” Looking back on her time on “The Golden Girls,” White expressed just how great it was to be part of the series. “It was always great fun shooting each episode,” she told Good Morning America. “(I) truly miss everyone involved.” 

No matter how many years passed or how much White had aged since her start in Hollywood, White always found a way to stay relevant and successful within the ever-changing entertainment industry. She found some work on the soap opera “The Bold and the Beautiful” in the late 2000s and also had a recurring role on “Boston Legal” from 2005 until 2008.

In May 2010, White hosted “Saturday Night Live” at the age of 88, making her the oldest person to ever host the show. Her appearance was so well received and loved by many that it even earned her a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series. Never one to slow down, White continued pursuing her passion and landed a role in the sitcom “Hot in Cleveland” in 2010 alongside Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves, and Wendie Malick. Although White was only set to star in the pilot of the show, she was so great on set and in front of the camera that she was asked to join the series. The show ran for six seasons and ended in 2015.

White has accomplished a lot over the course of her extremely long career of over 80 years and has received a plethora of awards and accolades honoring her many talents. In February 1960, she received her own stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and in 2013, she earned the record for Longest TV Career for an Entertainer (Female) for all of her work in the industry.

While she first discovered her talent and passion for writing at a young age, White has been able to showcase that over the years in the television industry by working as a creative force on multiple shows. She also rejuvenated that talent with the release of several books over the span of her career. Some of her books include “Betty White in Person,” “The Leading Lady: Dinah’s Story,” “Here We Go Again: My Life In Television,” and “If You Ask Me (And Of Course You Won’t).” 

White has also released audiobook versions of “Here We Go Again: My Life In Television” and “If You Ask Me (And Of Course You Won’t),” which she narrated herself. In February 2012, White received her first Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Recording for the audio recording of “If You Ask Me (And Of Course You Won’t).”

More than just an actress and TV personality, White has also shown her amazing work as a humanitarian over the many years she’s been in the spotlight. She is a big advocate for animal rights and has worked with many organizations, including the Los Angeles Zoo Commission, African Wildlife Foundation, Actors & Others for Animals, and the Morris Animal Foundation. She has been a trustee of the latter since 1974. In October 2011, White served as a presenter at the American Humane Hero Dog Awards ceremony in Los Angeles. According to Factinate, White has actually been known to turn down roles if the script mentions potential animal abuse.

White was married twice before she found the love of her life, Allen Ludden. She was very briefly married to Dick Barker in 1945, but the two divorced that very same year. In 1947, White got married for the second time and married talent agent Lane Allen, but it was no walk in paradise for the star. In fact, her then-husband actually tried to force her out of show business, which led to her filing for divorce, according to the Insider. “He didn’t want me in show business,” White said. “When you have a calling you have to follow it, so I made the choice, blew the marriage and I’ve never regretted it.” Their divorce was finalized in 1949.

Ludden was best known for his work as a game show host, but he also had some success with acting. The happy couple was married for 18 years before Ludden died suddenly in 1981 from stomach cancer. This was not only a great move for White’s career but also her love life. She met the love of her life, Ludden, at the age of 39 while appearing on his show “Password,” and instantly hit it off. Ludden proposed to the actress at least twice over the course of a year before she finally said yes, and they got married in 1963. 

White accepted Ludden’s three children like they were her own and loved them dearly. In many ways, Ludden’s surviving three children have been away for White to keep his legacy alive. Speaking to People, White explained, “I married someone who had three children. And how blessed I was to have those three stepchildren. 

Despite being able to spend 18 incredible years together before Ludden died of cancer in 1981, White has admitted that she has one regret about their relationship. “I spent a whole year, wasted a whole year that Allen and I could have had together, saying, ‘No, I wouldn’t marry him,’” White revealed during an interview with Oprah. “I wasted a whole year,” she added.

Dealing with death and mourning does not come easy, especially when the person who passed has made such a lasting impact. “There’s no formula,” White said in regards to mourning during an interview with Times Go By. “Keep busy with your work and your life, You can’t become a professional mourner. It doesn’t help you or others.” She added, “Keep the person in your heart all the time. Replay the good times. Be grateful for the years you had.”

Since Ludden’s passing, White has expressed she has no intention of remarrying. “Once you’ve had the best, who needs the rest?” she told the Daily Mail in 2011. “I made two mistakes before Allen, but the love of your life doesn’t come along in every life, so I am very grateful that I found him.”

White has had some beautiful moments and amazing accomplishments over the years, but it seems like nothing can compare to the love she experienced with her late husband. Although he is no longer with her and White has been able to thrive on her own, Ludden’s legacy is carried on by his children and the wonderful memories White is able to share with the world.

What do you think about Betty White and her amazing career? Did you know that she had such a long romance with her third husband? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to your friends and family, too!