Golden Girls star and American comedy icon Betty White has died at the age of 99, and Hollywood (and the world) is taking the loss hard on this final day of the year 2021. Ryan Reynolds had a longstanding friendship with Betty White – and in fact, the two were just making headlines a day ago when White’s joke about Ryan Reynolds’ crush on her turned into a viral PR moment on social media. With the news of Betty White’s death now out there in the public, Ryan Reynolds is understandably grief-stricken, and shared his initial thoughts with fans:
“The world looks different now,” Reynolds said in a Twitter post commemorating Betty White. “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.”
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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. pic.twitter.com/uevwerjobS
— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) December 31, 2021
Ryan Reynolds and Betty White starred together in the 2009 Sandra Bullock rom-com film The Proposal, where White played Reynolds’ feisty grandmother. The two comedic actors forged a bond while making that film, and would reunite again over the years for various personal and/or professional reasons. As stated, Reynolds and White just recently made headlines again, when Betty White (jokingly) named him as on of the Hollywood hunks that carried a torch for her:
“I’ve heard Ryan can’t get over his thing for me, but Robert Redford is The One,” White joked to PEOPLE during an interview about her upcoming 100th birthday (which would’ve been on January 17th).
Reynolds responded to the headlines White sparked from her interview by jokingly responding that, “I’m absolutely sick of the media exploiting past relationships just to drive clicks.”
I’m absolutely sick of the media exploiting past relationships just to drive clicks. https://t.co/xV8v2vVvXB
— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) December 30, 2021
Ryan Reynolds was one of many celebrities that paid tribute to Betty White, In the same interview with PEOPLE about White’s upcoming 100th birthday. As usual, Reynolds had nothing but love for Betty White, wrapped in a joke:
“I heard that scripts for Golden Girls were only 35 pages, which makes sense because so many of the laughs come from Betty simply looking at her castmates,” Reynolds said. “[Betty is] a typical Capricorn. Sleeps all day. Out all night boozing and snacking on men.”
Indeed, the world will look different to millions of fans who took reassurance from the enduring fortitude, humor, and heart that was Betty White’s presence on this Earth. No doubt those like Ryan Reynolds, who got the pleasure of making laughs for her – are missing her the most at this moment.
