Betty White's Agent Sets the Record Straight About Her Cause of Death

Gabrielle Chung
·2 min read
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Betty White's agent is clearing the air surrounding the Hollywood icon's cause of death.

The legendary actress passed away at age 99 on Dec. 31. According to her longtime friend and agent, Jeff Witjas, the Golden Girls alum "died peacefully in her sleep at her home."

"People are saying her death was related to getting a booster shot three days earlier but that is not true. She died of natural causes," Witjas told NBC News on Monday, Jan. 3. "Her death should not be politicized—that is not the life she lived."

In an email to the Associated Press, Witjas also debunked a fabricated quote from the actress and explained that White did not receive the booster on the purported date. "Betty never said this," he stated.

An official cause of death for White has not been released, though she previously told People in one of her final interviews that she felt "so lucky to be in such good health and feel so good at this age."

Betty White's Life in Pictures

In the cover story, which was published weeks before what would've been White's 100th birthday, the TV star also joked that her secret to a long life was "to avoid anything green."

Betty White, obit, 2012
Kinetic Content/Kobal/Shutterstock

She quipped at the time, "I think it's working."

Since White's death, many Hollywood stars have been sharing their condolences.

Robert Redford—who the TV star previously said she admired—said in a statement to E! News in the wake of her passing, "Betty lived life devoted to her craft and her love of animals. She made us all laugh, including me. I had a crush on her too!"

Ryan Reynolds, who played her grandson in 2009's The Proposal, also paid tribute to White in a moving statement. "The world looks different now," he wrote on Instagram. "She was great at defying expectation. She managed to grow very old and somehow, not old enough. We'll miss you, Betty."

For the latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic and for tips on how to prevent the spread of COVID-19, please visit The Center for Disease Control and Prevention at https://www.cdc.gov. To plan your vaccine, head to NBC's Plan Your Vaccine site at PlanYourVaccine.com.