Betty White Fans Are Brought to Tears After Seeing Her Last Message on Instagram
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A month ago, the world said an emotional goodbye to comedic actress Betty White after she died at the age of 99, just weeks way from celebrating her 100th birthday. Now, fans of the legendary TV star will come together and pay tribute to her in NBC's hour-long special, Celebrating Betty White: America’s Golden Girl. But before folks can singalong to Cher's performance of The Golden Girls theme song, Betty had one last message to share with her longtime supporters.
On January 21, Betty's assistant, Kiersten Mikulas, posted an Instagram video on the late actress' official account that was meant to commemorate her 100th birthday. In the 14-second clip, Betty speaks directly to the camera and shares her gratitude. "I just want to thank you all for your love and support over the years," she said in the snippet. "Thank you so much and stick around."
In the caption, Kiersten wrote: "She was using the occasion of her 100th birthday to celebrate YOU - her fans. She knew how lucky she was; she felt the love, and she never took it for granted."
After seeing the heartfelt Instagram video, many fans were overcome with emotion and took to the comments section express their love of the late comedian. Though time has passed since news first broke about Betty's death, many admirers were still grieving the loss.
"And now I’m crying again. May her beautiful soul rest in peace," one fan commented. "We love you forever Betty ????????," another added. "100 years and still gone way too soon. We love you Betty! A true example of humor, love, and compassion ??????," a different fan said.
The Instagram post also thanked fans for the now-viral #BettyWhiteChallenge. In honor of Betty's milestone birthday on January 17 and her incredible legacy, the online challenge prompted fans to donate $5 to a local animal shelter. "She could never have imagined such an outpouring of love and would have been so grateful to everyone," Kiersten added.
Betty's ability to bring laughter into the world wasn't her only way of giving back. The Mary Tyler Moore Show star was a passionate animal rights advocate. In 2010, she worked with the Morris Animal Foundation to establish the Betty White Wildlife Rapid Response Fund, which finances animal research and aids in protecting wildlife during disasters such as oil spills. Throughout her 99 years of life, Betty was earned accolades for being a generous donor and volunteer to various animal rights charities.
In her 2012 autobiography Betty and Friends: My Life at the Zoo, she revealed that her love of animals began at a young age when it was passed down from her mother and father. “[My parents] were genuine animal nuts, and I am eternally grateful that they have passed much of that passion on to me,” she wrote.
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