It's truly poetic that the theme song for Betty White's beloved sitcom The Golden Girls was "Thank You for Being a Friend." Over her incredible 95 years, Betty had countless close friends, but one of her most cherished relationships was with another TV icon: Lucille Ball. "We were buddies," Betty fondly recalls. "Lucy always wanted to teach me backgammon. So, we'd sit down, and she'd have everything set up. But her idea of teaching was, 'I'll take my turn. Now you throw the dice,' which I would. Then she'd move my pieces around, and I'd say, 'Lucy, how am I supposed to learn if you're playing the game with yourself?!' But we had so much fun doing it anyway." Their playful camaraderie was just the beginning of a lifelong friendship that spanned decades.
A Friendship That Transcended Decades
Although Lucille Ball was 11 years older than Betty White when they first met in 1957, their friendship blossomed quickly, lasting more than 30 years. Both women were trailblazers in the entertainment industry, sharing many similarities that strengthened their bond. They both started in radio before transitioning to television, each owning their own production companies, which was a groundbreaking move for women in 1950s Hollywood. Additionally, both women had supportive, loving mothers who instilled in them the confidence to succeed in a male-dominated world. When Lucy married comedian Gary Morton in 1961 and Betty tied the knot with Password host Allen Ludden in 1963, the couples became close, creating an extended family of sorts. "Lucy and Betty's relationship went beyond being mere show business acquaintances," a close friend of the pair tells Closer. "They genuinely considered each other family."
From Co-Workers to Lifelong Friends
Betty first crossed paths with Lucy while working on the 1957 sitcom Date With the Angels, which was filmed at Desilu Studios, where Lucy was wrapping up the final season of her iconic show, I Love Lucy. "Betty was still trying to establish herself in the entertainment world when she met Lucy," explains a mutual friend. However, Betty was no stranger to the industry, having already starred in the 1952-1955 comedy Life With Elizabeth, which she produced through her own company, Bandy Productions. This experience gave her a solid foundation to connect with Lucy on both a personal and professional level.
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According to Ann Dusenberry, who worked with Betty and Lucy on Super Password and co-starred with Lucy in the 1986 series Life With Lucy, "Their bond stemmed from their shared accomplishments as businesswomen in a male-dominated industry." Another friend adds, "Betty truly looked up to Lucy, and Lucy recognized that they were cut from the same cloth." Lucy, who had already achieved massive success with I Love Lucy, became a mentor to Betty. Her production company, Desilu, which she co-owned with her husband Desi Arnaz, was a trailblazer in the industry. "Lucy took Betty under her wing," the friend notes. "She was already the biggest female star on TV and, in many ways, paved the way for Betty's achievements." Lucy admired Betty's determination to succeed in a male-dominated TV landscape, further solidifying their friendship.
Strength in Adversity
By 1959, Lucy's 19-year marriage to Desi Arnaz began to unravel due to his drinking and infidelity. "I think it came to a point where Lucy couldn't emotionally handle working together anymore," explains Keith Thibodeaux, who played little Ricky on I Love Lucy. Her 1960 divorce marked a turning point in Lucy's life, and Betty, who had been divorced twice before, was there to offer her friend encouragement and support. "Lucy saw Betty's fighting spirit — they were really feminists of their time, even though that wasn't necessarily the norm in Hollywood," says the friend. Lucy moved forward, marrying comedian Gary Morton in 1961 and taking control of Desilu. During tough times, both women leaned on each other's families for support. Betty, who didn't have children of her own, formed close relationships with Lucy's mother, Tess, and her children, Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr.
The Influence of Strong Mothers
A friendship also blossomed between their mothers, DeDe Ball and Tess White. "Our two amazing mothers, DeDe Ball and Tess White, had a connection too," Betty shares. Both women were raised by strong mothers who taught them the importance of standing up for themselves. DeDe, a former concert pianist, and Tess, a devoted homemaker, instilled in their daughters the belief that they didn't have to take a back seat to any man. "They were definitely mama's girls," notes a mutual friend, "raised by women who told them they could achieve anything they set their minds to."
When Lucy's mother fell ill, Betty recalls being at a party and Lucy pulling her aside, saying, "What the hell am I going to do if I lose my mom?" DeDe passed away not long after, in 1977, and Lucy "sort of adopted my mom," Betty shares. "Every year on DeDe's birthday, she would send my mom a basket of violets. She was some kind of a lady." Lucy was also there for Betty when her husband, Allen, passed away from stomach cancer. "She brought meals and kind words when Betty needed her most," says their friend. As one of "the friends who helped pick up the pieces," Betty says, Lucy "was convinced that backgammon was the cure for everything. She made me laugh even when I didn't think I could."
Of course, laughter was a cornerstone of their connection. "They were hilariously funny and always ready to be playful, even silly, if there was a joke involved," says Dusenberry. Their humor was on full display in the 1980s when they faced off on game shows like Password and Super Password. "They teased, argued, and growled at each other as only two giants of comedy could," former host Tom Kennedy recalls. Despite their playful rivalry, he notes, "The two women couldn't hide their genuine admiration for one another."
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It was during the taping of a 1986 episode of Password that Lucy learned of Desi's passing, and Betty was there to offer her a shoulder to cry on. "Lucy was being funny on the show, but during a break, she said, 'You know, it's the strangest thing. I didn't think I'd get this upset,'" Betty remembers. "It was a touching, private moment between two women who truly understood each other."
A Lasting Legacy
Their friendship endured until Lucy's passing in 1989 at the age of 77 from an aortic rupture. "Betty has a scrapbook filled with photos of her and Lucy, along with other people who are close to her heart," a friend shares. "We had such fun!" Betty fondly recalls. Their bond remains an enduring testament to the power of friendship and mutual respect.
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