Betty White’s husband: Why the TV icon never remarried after Allen Ludden

Betty White was the world's favorite golden girl, but her own heart belonged to just one man for over forty years of widowhood. If you ask most fans, there is only one name that matters: Allen Ludden. But the road to that legendary romance wasn’t exactly a straight line.

Honestly, it’s a bit of a Hollywood whirlwind.

Before she became the "First Lady of Television," Betty went through what she famously called "dress rehearsals." You’ve probably heard her mention that she had two husbands before she finally met the love of her life. It’s funny how we think of her as this eternal figure of wisdom and stability, yet her early twenties were just as messy as anyone else's.

Who was Betty White’s husband? The man who changed everything

When people ask who was Betty White’s husband, they are almost always looking for Allen Ludden. He was the charismatic host of the game show Password, and their meeting is the stuff of TV legend. It happened in 1961. Betty was a guest on his show, and the chemistry was basically instant.

Ludden wasn't just some guy in a suit. He was an intellectual, a Phi Beta Kappa graduate from the University of Texas, and a man who had served as an officer in the Pacific theater during World War II. He had three children from a previous marriage to Margaret McGloin, who had sadly passed away from cancer the same week Betty first appeared on Password.

The persistence of Allen Ludden

Their courtship wasn't a "yes" at first sight. Far from it.

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Ludden was relentless. He proposed to her for an entire year. He didn’t just ask; he made it a routine. Instead of saying "hello" or "good morning," he would simply look at her and say, "Will you marry me?"

Betty was hesitant. She was a California girl through and through, and the idea of moving to New York (where Ludden was based) scared her to death. She even turned down a diamond ring. To show he wasn't giving up, Allen actually wore that ring on a chain around his neck so she’d have to see it every time they were together.

Talk about commitment.

The breakthrough finally came at Easter in 1963. He sent her a stuffed white bunny. Typical Betty White bait, right? But the bunny had gold, ruby, and diamond earrings in its ears. That did the trick. They married on June 14, 1963, and stayed together until his death from stomach cancer in 1981.

The "Dress Rehearsals": Dick Barker and Lane Allen

Before the magic of Ludden, there were two other men. Betty was always incredibly blunt about these relationships.

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First came Dick Barker. They met while Betty was volunteering for the American Women’s Voluntary Services during WWII. He was a U.S. Army Air Force pilot and, as Betty put it, a chicken farmer in Ohio. They married in 1945.

It lasted six months.

Basically, the "nightmare" of living on a chicken farm in the Midwest was not for her. She wanted the lights of Hollywood, not the smell of a coop. She once quipped that they spent those six months mostly in bed, and once they got out, the marriage was over.

Then there was Lane Allen. He was a Hollywood talent agent, and they wed in 1947. This one lasted about two years. The dealbreaker? He wanted her to quit show business. He wanted a stay-at-home wife and a mother for his children. Betty, already feeling the pull of a legendary career, wasn't about to trade a microphone for a spatula. She chose her career, and honestly, we’re all lucky she did.

Life after Allen: "Once you've had the best..."

After Allen Ludden passed away in 1981, just days before their 18th anniversary, the world watched to see if Betty would find love again. She never did. And she didn't want to.

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She famously told Larry King, "Once you've had the best, who needs the rest?"

It wasn't just a catchy line. She lived it. For forty years, she remained a widow. She became a stepmother to Allen's three children—David, Martha, and Sarah—and by all accounts, she was incredibly proud of the family she "inherited."

The final word

There is a beautiful, if unconfirmed, report from her final moments. Her Mama’s Family co-star Vicki Lawrence shared that Betty’s last word before she passed away at age 99 was "Allen."

Whether that’s a Hollywood ending or literal fact, it fits the narrative of a woman who found her soulmate and never let go, even after he was gone. Their stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame are even right next to each other. Betty used to joke that in the middle of the night, those two stars were probably "fooling around."

If you’re looking to channel a bit of that Betty White energy in your own life, here are a few takeaways:

• Don't settle for the "dress rehearsals." It's okay if the first (or second) try doesn't work out.
• Know your dealbreakers. If someone asks you to give up your passion, they might not be the one.
• Persistence can be romantic. (But only if you're as charming as Allen Ludden).
• Value the "best" when you find it. True connection doesn't have an expiration date.

Betty’s story is a reminder that while careers and fame are great, having someone who barbecue's a chicken and dances to old records with you is the real win.