Betty White: Golden Girls star died of a stroke, death certificate shows

Beloved actor had a cerebrovascular accident six days before her death

Betty White died of a stroke, her death certificate has shown.

The Golden Girls star died peacefully in her sleep at her home” on New Year’s Eve aged 99, just weeks before her 100th birthday.

Now, White’s death certificate obtained by TMZ has shown that the actor had a cerebrovascular accident, or stroke, six days before her death.

A cerebrovascular accident occurs when blood stops flowing to part of the brain, damaging the tissue. The stroke is listed as her cause of death.

Sources close to the actor told the publication that White was “alert and coherent” after the stroke and confirmed that she died in her sleep.

Her death was first confirmed on 31 December by her agent and close friend Jeff Witjas, who said: “Even though Betty was about to be 100, I thought she would live forever.”

Following news of White’s death, industry friends and fans celebrated the comedy icon’s legacy with heartfelt tributes on social media.

Ryan Reynolds, who co-starred with White in 2009 film The Proposal, tweeted: “The world looks different now. 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.”

The star of tv shows like The Mandy Tyler Moore Show and Hot in Cleveland, White’s last film roles were in 2019 when she voiced the characters of Bitey White in Toy Story 4 and Sarah Vanderwhoozie in Trouble.