What happened between Bea Arthur and Betty White? Golden Girls producer opens up about bitter feud

For decades, viewers of The Golden Girls have toasted the easy bond of the four stars, yet behind the jokes, two of them quietly fought a chilly battle. Bea Arthur and Betty White, the sardonic Dorothy Zbornak and the lovable, often lost Rose Nylund, actually kept a healthy distance on set. Even though their on-screen rhythm never faltered, Arthur carried a hidden, years-old grievance toward White, a grudge the taller actress supposedly never buried before dying.

Marsha Posner Williams, who produced The Golden Girls, has finally shed light on just how fraught things were between Bea Arthur and Betty White. While talking at a reunion event marking the show's 40th birthday, Williams said Arthur would privately call White the c-word.

“She used to call me at home and say, ‘I just ran into that [c-word] at the grocery store. I’m gonna write her a letter,’” Williams said.

When she urged Arthur to move on, Arthur refused. Even in social settings, Williams recalled,

“Within 30 seconds of walking in the door, the c-word came out.”

The tension between them ran deeper than personality quirks; it boiled down to two opposing worldviews. Arthur, steeped in theatre, valued tight discipline and low-key craft, whereas White's upbeat, audience-bantered showmanship rubbed him raw. Williams notes that this steady scratch of irritation soon became a hallmark of their joint project.

“When that red light was on, there were no more professional people than those women. But when the red light was off, those two couldn’t warm up to each other if they were cremated together.”

Bea Arthur's fallout that ended the show

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The growing rift between Bea Arthur and Betty White may have hastened the curtain call for The Golden Girls. Williams recounts that when NBC asked the quartet to move past season seven, White, Rue McClanahan, and Estelle Getty all agreed to come back. Arthur, however, reportedly replied, "No f****ing way", leaving producers little choice but to let the show end.

Other people close to the set have since speculated about what really sparked the tension. Some thought Arthur bristled at the roaring applause White earned during cast introductions, while others pointed to clashing comfort levels with the press and spotlight. What is clear is that, though their on-screen bond feels timeless, off-camera, the mood was anything but warm-and for everyone on that lot, steering through the chilly silence became part of the daily grind.

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