Inside Betty White And Lucille Ball's Relationship

In true "Golden Girl" fashion, Betty White and Lucille Ball were there for each other during the most difficult times in their lives. When Ball's marriage to Desi Arnaz began to crumble, the twice-divorced White offered words of wisdom. Ball subsequently provided "a meal and kind words" when White lost her third husband, "Password" host Allen Ludden in 1981 (via Closer Weekly). Then, in 1986, Ball was in the middle of taping a "Password" episode when she found out that Arnaz had died. White recalled to People in 1989, "Lucy was being real funny on the show, but during a break she said, 'You know, it's the damnedest thing. Goddamnit, I didn't think I'd get this upset.'"

"Password" was also the setting for one of the friends' most memorable moments on-screen. On a 1988 episode of the "All-Star Super Password Special" (seen here on YouTube), Ball and White were on opposite teams. Ball was supposed to get partner Carol Channing to say the word "stiff," but couldn't come up with a hint quickly enough and the producers buzzed her out of her turn. White exclaimed, "You don't buzz a legend!" The whole studio laughed — but none harder than Ball herself. 

Ball died the following year, putting a sad end to a three-decade phenomenon that was more than mere friendship. As one insider told Closer Weekly, "Lucy and Betty's relationship spanned more than being just show business acquaintances. They considered each other family."