Yahoo Movies Betty White thanks fans for 'love and support over the years' in final video before her death
Betty White shared her love for her fans right up until the end.
In the final video recorded before her death, the Golden Girls icon was all smiles as she spoke to camera.
"I just want to thank you all for your love and support over the years," White said. "Thank you so much and stick around."
Betty White/Instagram Betty White in a final video shot for fans for her 100th birthday.
The video was initially planned to be released on what would have been White's 100th birthday on Jan. 17. But after she died weeks before the milestone birthday, donations began pouring in to animal welfare and conservation efforts as part of the fan-led Betty White Challenge to honor the star's lifelong advocacy for animals, so her team shared the video on Instagram on Friday.
This video was filmed the same day as White's introduction to the documentary Betty White: A Celebration, which had a one-day theatrical run on Jan. 17. The documentary's producers, Steve Boettcher and Mike Trinklein, had filmed with White for years, first as part of the PBS docuseries Pioneers of Television and more recently as they created this doc, a shorter version of which first aired in 2018.
Boettcher previously told EW they will not be publicly releasing their video of White and that they have turned down offers by various outlets and streamers to buy it. This new, expanded version was supposed to be a birthday celebration including pretaped segments with some of White's closest celebrity friends and former costars paying tribute and singing happy birthday, according to an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
The five-time Emmy Award-winning actress died on Dec. 31 at age 99 after suffering a mild stroke several days earlier. In White's final EW interview, she answered a variety of questions, including some from her former costars Hewitt, Jean Smart, and Jamie Lee Curtis.
In response to EW's question about advice she'd give her 80-year-old self, she said she "wouldn't dare give myself advice — I'm too old! But seriously, the advice I'd give anyone at any age: Taste every moment. Don't take anything for granted."
She also revealed which of her seven Emmy Awards means the most to her, which of her past shows she'd like to do one more episode of (hint: it involves animals), her favorite color of roses, and more.
Watch White's video to her fans above.
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