9-1-1 star Jennifer Love Hewitt shares bittersweet story of friendship with Betty White

Betty died on 31 December

jennifer lh

9-1-1 star Jennifer Love Hewitt has shared a wonderful story of her friendship with Betty White, three weeks after the star passed away at the age of 99.

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The two were good friends after meeting on the set of Hallmark movie The Lost Valentine in 2011 and Jennifer has now revealed that for 11 years Betty wore a necklace Jennifer had gifted to her.

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"Not a lot of people know this story and I have never shared it, but when we worked together it was instant love for me and when we wrapped I gave her a Tiffany necklace and she wore it every single day for 11 years," Jennifer told ET Online.

"She had it on with her when she passed, she had my heart with her and she always will."

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Betty, known for her role as Rose Nylund in Golden Girls, passed away at the age of 99, just weeks before what would've been her 100th birthday.

The legendary actress died in the early hours of New Year's Eve, with law enforcement sources confirming the news. She had suffered a stroke on 25 December.

Betty and Jen became friends in 2011

Betty started her career in the 1930s and was still working in the industry as recently as 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic struck.

She rose to fame for her role as Elizabeth in Life with Elizabeth, and became the nation's sweetheart when she was one of the central characters in Golden Girls.

Jennifer took to social media in the hours after Betty's death was confirmed, and told her fans to "honor her by laughing – and drinking vodka, because she loved vodka".

Jen called on fans to honor Betty 

"And playing Scrabble, because she loved to play Scrabble," Jennifer continued.

"And watching her on Golden Girls and all the amazing things she was a part of. Hug your animals because she loved animals more than anything in the world."

The mother of three ended her speech with a direct address to White: "Miss Betty White, you are now my angel and I love you always."

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