Betty White Husbands: 'Golden Girls' Star Was Married 3 Times

We all know that Betty White had an incredible career that spanned more than 70 years, but she also lived quite the personal life — she was married three times.

The Golden Girls alum, who died at age 99 in December 2021, first tied the knot to a man named Dick Barker, which was then followed by a marriage to Lane Allen and then a longtime marriage to Allen Ludden. While the legend did not have any biological children during her relationships, she is a stepmom to her third husband’s kids — David, 71, Martha, 69, and Sarah, 67 — and continues in her role ever since Allen passed away after a battle with stomach cancer.

“I miss having someone to hold,” Betty once confessed in the aftermath of her Allen’s death. “[But] if you’ve had the best, who needs the rest?” As to how she dealt with last husband’s passing, she revealed, “There’s no formula. Keep busy with your work and your life. You can’t become a professional mourner. It doesn’t help you or others. Keep the person in your heart all the time. Replay the good times. Be grateful for the years you had.”

Scroll on down to learn more about Betty’s three husbands.

Lane Allen (1947-1949)

Two years after splitting from her first husband, Betty married Hollywood agent Lane Allen. While it did not last five months like her previous relationship, her marriage to Lane was over after two years. The star once told New You, “I wish I didn’t have two bad marriages.”

Lane passed away in 1995.

Allen Ludden (1963-1981)

Betty’s third and final husband was also her most impactful, as the pair remained married until Allen passed away in 1981. The icon met Allen, a host and a TV personality, on the game show Password. “I guested on Password the third week it was on the air,” recalled Betty, who was instantly impressed with Allen’s kindness, on-camera and off. He was “never too busy to say a warm goodbye after the last show finished,” she remembered.

The star appeared on the show several times and the two became good friends before eventually tying the knot. Upon hearing of Allen’s diagnosis, Betty knew she had to take advantage of their time together.

“We decided to move on and make the most of every day for whatever time we had together,” she once recalled.