Sally Struthers shared a surprising story about the late Golden Girls star Betty White, recalling an incident that left her feeling embarrassed. She said White “fat-shamed” her during a gathering at White’s home when she reached for a cookie on a plate in front of her.
“I have to say, now that she’s gone, I want to talk about Betty White for just a moment,” Sally Struthers said during a recent episode of the Let’s Talk About That! podcast with Larry Saperstein and Jacob Bellotti. “I know everybody loves her — they loved her so much they even signed petitions to have her guest host Saturday Night Live. I know all that. But I didn’t have such a great experience with her.”
Sally Struthers ‘totally fat-shamed’ by Betty White in room full of peoplehttps://t.co/aw9zmSSyuO pic.twitter.com/2UF3u1hWwH
— MirrorUSNews (@MirrorUSNews) January 16, 2025
The 77-year-old actress described White as “very passive-aggressive” and recounted the incident that happened while they were working on the pilot for a new game show at White’s Los Angeles home. “She asked her housekeeper to bring in a plate of something for us while we were all sitting and discussing what was working and what wasn’t about the game show,” Struthers said.
“The plate was placed in the middle, and it had cookies, I think. So I reached for a cookie, and she said in front of everyone, ‘Oh, I wouldn’t do that if I were you, dear. You don’t need a cookie.’ Totally fat-shamed me in front of everyone, and I thought, ‘Wow, that’s not very nice.'”
Remembering the legendary Betty White on her birthday. 🕊️ pic.twitter.com/jgZWlsWQji
— Screen Rant (@screenrant) January 17, 2025
Betty White, who passed away in 2021 just shy of her 100th birthday, was a beloved entertainer. Known for her roles on shows like The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Match Game, and Pyramid, she gained the most recognition for her portrayal of the sweet and naive Rose Nylund on Golden Girls. The iconic sitcom ran for seven seasons from 1985 to 1992 and was followed by its short-lived sequel, The Golden Palace.
Struthers also shared a personal connection to the Golden Girls series during the podcast. She revealed that she lived near the house used as the exterior for the Golden Girls’ home. “My house was on a street called Saltair, and four houses up the street from me was the house that was filmed as the exterior for Golden Girls,” she explained. “I lived four houses down from the Golden Girls house!”
Despite her negative experience with White, Struthers’ comments offer an intriguing glimpse into the complexities of relationships between Hollywood stars. Watch the podcast interview here to hear more of her stories.
