Betty White's Assistant Shares Final Photo of 'Golden Girls' Star to Celebrate Her Birthday

Betty White would have celebrated her 100th birthday on Monday, and to celebrate the day, her assistant shared one of the final photos taken of her. White died on New Year's Day at age 99, and Fathom Events played Betty White: A Celebration in theaters to honor her legendary television career. White was a five-time Emmy winner whose career began at the birth of television.

"On this special day, I wanted to share this photo of Betty," White's assistant Kiersten wrote on the Golden Girls star's official Facebook page. "It was taken on 12/20/21. I believe it's one of the last photos of her. She was radiant and beautiful and as happy as ever. Thanks to all of you who are doing kind things today and every day to make the world a better place."

The post received thousands of comments from White's fans, including many who took part in the #BettyWhiteChallenge. They donated to animal welfare charities and shelters across the country to honor White's tireless advocacy for animals. The idea to donate at least $5 on White's 100th birthday began on social media and quickly gained traction.

"I've had many conversations with Betty about animal welfare, and I know she's looking down from heaven and really smiling," Robin Ganzert of American Humane, one of the animal welfare groups White supported, told ABC News. "She'll be smiling on her birthday. And she'll be smiling about the lives she's changed."

The photo shared on White's Facebook page was taken about the same time Betty White: A Celebration producers Mike Trinklein and Steve Boettcher filmed White's last interview. They spoke with her on Dec. 20 to record a message White recorded for her fans. "It was her idea to do this. She said, 'I want my fans to know this,'" Boettcher told The Hollywood Reporter. "We've been asked to share it. We've been asked to put it on social media. The only place we thought was right was putting it in the film and sharing it with her friends, family, and fans who are going to be there."

White died in her sleep at her home on Dec. 31. She suffered a stroke six days before she died, and her death certificate lists "cerebrovascular accident" as the cause of death. "Even though Betty was about to be 100, I thought she would live forever," White's agent Jeff Witjas said. "I will miss her terribly and so will the animal world that she loved so much. I don't think Betty ever feared passing because she always wanted to be with her most beloved husband Allen Ludden. She believed she would be with him again."