‘Betty White is fine’: Golden Girls icon, 98, reassures fans after Twitter freaks out over her well-being as coronavirus outbreak grows
She is a beloved American icon.
So when news broke Wednesday that Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson had tested positive for coronavirus, fans of Betty White immediately took to Twitter to express their concern for the 98-year-old Golden Girls star.
In fact, there was such an outpouring that a representative for the veteran actress issued a statement to NBC’s Today, reassuring everyone that ‘Betty White is fine.’
She’s ok: After fans took to Twitter to express concern for Betty White as the coronavirus outbreak worsens, a spokesperson for the beloved 98-year-old told Today: ‘Betty White is fine’
One fan tweeted: ‘PLEASE quarantine #BettyWhite. I’ll send all my sanitizer if it means keeping out national treasure safe #CoronavirusOutbreak.’
Another wrote: ‘Betty White trending … I panicked. We must protect her at all cost.’
‘Will someone please wrap #BettyWhite in a sterile bubble till this damn virus passes!!!!’ another said in a tweet.
Doing their part: One fan pledged to donate sanitizer if it would help keep the veteran TV star safe
‘We must protect her’: Another fan tweeted a Supergirl meme
Social media outpouring: The Golden Girls star has a large and devoted following
Vulnerable: There’s concern as the coronavirus is known to cause more serious infections in the elderly and those with underlying health conditions
A pioneer of television, her small screen career has lasted longer than any other entertainer.
She started out in 1939 just month after graduating from Beverly Hills High School and her first jobs were on local TV and radio in Los Angeles.
She has been nominated for eight Emmys and has won three, two for her work on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and one for The Golden Girls .
White was also a regular on The Carol Burnett Show and The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson.
In her later years, she continued to win over a new generation of TV viewers, starring on the ABC primetime series Boston Legal from 2005 to 2008 and the TV Land sitcom Hot In Cleveland from 2010 to 2015.
Her most recent role was as part of the voice cast for last year’s Toy Story 4.
In addition, her advocacy for animal rights and welfare has won her a legion of supporters.
Icon: A pioneer of television, White’s small screen career has lasted longer than any other entertainer. She started out in 1939 and is still in demand. Pictured with her Golden Girls co-stars Bea Arthur, Estelle Getty and Rue McClanahan in 1992