Golden Girls Stars Arthur, White Confirmed Bitter Offscreen Feud

Despite portraying close friends on the hit sitcom The Golden Girls from 1985 to 1992, Bea Arthur and Betty White reportedly had a tense and unfriendly relationship off-screen. Co-producer Marsha Posner Williams revealed that while filming, the actresses were highly professional, but off-set, they could not get along, with Arthur frequently using derogatory language towards White. Arthur reportedly disliked White's habit of breaking character to engage with the live audience, considering it unprofessional, and it was suggested that Arthur was the main reason the show ended after seven seasons. Some accounts from cast and crew indicate that White admired Arthur, but the feeling was not mutual, with Arthur described as eccentric and resistant to change. The tension between the two has been confirmed by multiple sources, including casting director Joel Thurm and Arthur's son, Matthew Saks, who noted that Arthur felt she was a more serious actress compared to White. Overall, behind the scenes, the camaraderie portrayed on screen was not reflected in their personal interactions during and after the show.