Here’s to 2021! Like the rest of the world, Betty White has spent much of the past year locked down at home amid the COVID-19 pandemic. However, she has something to look forward to in January: her 99th birthday.
“Betty is in good health and spirits,” the legendary actress’ rep exclusively tells Us Weekly.
White “would like to interact with her friends but does not” due to social distancing guidelines, according to her rep. She does occupy her time with plenty of other safe activities though.
“Crossword puzzles are no match for Betty,” her rep tells Us. “She reads a number of newspapers, watches select television and gets a lot of exercise in her home walking up and down bedroom stairs.”
The Emmy winner is also gearing up for a new release. Her show The Pet Set, which briefly aired in the early 1970s, will be available for the first time on digital platforms and DVD on February 23, 2021, in honor of its 50th anniversary. The set includes 39 half-hour episodes with celebrity guests such as Carol Burnett, Mary Tyler Moore and Burt Reynolds as well as a wide range of animals like tigers, elephants and gorillas.
White has remained active in Hollywood since launching her career in 1939, most recently voicing characters in the 2019 animated films Toy Story 4 and Trouble. She also has a Christmas movie in the works at Lifetime, which the network announced in May but ultimately postponed due to the pandemic.
“We’re all still dreaming of a white Christmas with Betty White — unfortunately we will have to wait until 2021,” Lifetime said in a statement in September. “The movie is being pushed to next year due to COVID filming restrictions.”
The Golden Girls alum last made a public appearance in September 2018, when she took the stage at the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards and got a standing ovation from the star-studded audience after being introduced by Saturday Night Live stars Alec Baldwin and Kate McKinnon.
“It’s incredible that I’m still in this business and you are still putting up with me,” White quipped at the time. “All I can say is it’s such a blessed business to be in and how lucky can I be and how much I say thank you to each and every one [of you].”
