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Celebrities mourn the passing of Betty White

Betty White
Posted at 1:51 PM, Dec 31, 2021
and last updated 2021-12-31 22:45:21-05

Hollywood is mourning the loss of an icon.

Actor and comedian Betty White passed away at the age of 99 on Friday, just 17 days away from her 100th birthday.

Following the news of her death, Hollywood's biggest stars shared tributes to the comedienne.

Actor Ryan Reynolds, who starred alongside White in the movie "The Proposal," called her "great at defying expectations."

"The world looks different now," Reynolds said on Twitter. "She was great at defying expectation. She managed to grow very old and, somehow, not old enough. We’ll miss you, Betty. Now you know the secret."

Other tributes from her famous friends began rolling in after news broke of her passing.

"Our national treasure, Betty White, has passed just before her 100th birthday," "Star Trek" star George Takei tweeted. "Our Sue Ann Nivens, our beloved Rose Nylund, has joined the heavens to delight the stars with her inimitable style, humor, and charm. A great loss to us all. We shall miss her dearly."

"Tonight, we will raise MANY glasses to the WONDERFUL legacy of Betty White!!!" Bravo's Andy Cohen wrote on Twitter.

"Betty White: It is very hard to absorb you are not here anymore.." "Happy Days," actor Henry Winkler said. "But the memories of your deLIGHT are ..Thank you for your humor, your warmth, and your activism .. Rest now and say Hi to Bill."

"A spirit of goodness and hope," journalist Dan Rather tweeted. "Betty White was much beloved because of who she was and how she embraced a life well-lived. Her smile. Her sense of humor. Her basic decency. Our world would be better if more followed her example. It is diminished with her passing."

TV show host Ellen Degeneres wrote: "What an exceptional life. I’m grateful for every second I got to spend with Betty White. Sending love to her family, friends, and all of us."

In a lengthy Twitter thread, fellow comedian Kathy Griffin shared several stories about the beloved actress.

"Betty White. Where do I begin?" Griffin wrote. "I’ve known her long, but I think the first time I met her was when she was a guest star on Suddenly Susan in the late 90s. Everyone was very excited she was on the show. I had accidentally parked in her parking spot that day.

Reese Witherspoon and White's "Hot in Cleveland" co-star Valerie Bertinelli also shared their condolences on social media.

"Rest in peace, sweet Betty," Bertinelli wrote. "My God, how bright heaven must be right now."

"So sad to hear about Betty White passing," Witherspoon said. "I loved watching her characters that brought so much joy. Thank you, Betty, for making us all laugh!"

She really gained notoriety when she starred in a Snickers commercial that ran during the Super Bowl in 2010.

Afterward, she co-hosted "Saturday Night Live," for which she won her seventh Emmy award.

SNL alum Seth Meyers tweeted, "RIP Betty White, the only SNL host I ever saw get a standing ovation at the afterparty. A party at which she ordered a vodka and a hotdog and stayed 'til the bitter end."

President Joe Biden said, "Betty White brought a smile to the lips of generations of Americans. She’s a cultural icon who will be sorely missed. Jill and I are thinking of her family and all those who loved her this New Year’s Eve."