ABOVE: Cher honors Betty White. Photo via Cher’s Twitter.
President Joe Biden joined a host of celebrities including Ellen DeGeneres, Jay Leno, Drew Barrymore, Tina Fey, Cher and more in NBC’s “Celebrating Betty White: America’s Golden Girl.”
The special aired at 10 p.m. EST and is available to stream on Peacock starting Feb. 1. It pays homage to White, America’s Golden Girl, who died Dec. 31 at 99.
In a tweet upon learning of the Hollywood icon’s death, Biden wrote that “Betty White brought a smile to the lips of generations of Americans. She’s a cultural icon who will be sorely missed.”
In a special musical tribute recorded on the sound stage in Hollywood where White alongside Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty filmed the iconic NBC sitcom “The Golden Girls,” which ran from September 14, 1985 to May 9, 1992, Cher sings the theme song of the show, ‘Thank You For Being a Friend.”
In a tweet before the show, the Grammy, Emmy, Academy and Golden Globe award winning actress and singer-songwriter shared a clip of her performance:
White, who passed away weeks before what would have been her 100th birthday on Jan. 17, was known for her beloved characters on sitcom shows like “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” “The Golden Girls” and most recently “Hot In Cleveland.” She was deeply devoted to animal rights.
Forbes reported that to honor the actress on Jan. 17, fans participated in the #BettyWhiteChallenge, an initiative to donate to animal charities, a cause that was deeply important to White.
Facebook and Instagram said $12.7 million was raised for charities using the hashtag on their platforms. The day after the celebration, the Los Angeles Zoo Association, which White was a patron of, said they raised over $70,000 through the fundraising effort.
View clips of some of White’s work below:
