Betty White dyed, but she has not died

Send in the grammar police! A satirical news site published a tongue-in-cheek article yesterday with a tricky headline that left some mourning the death of cherished actress, Betty White.

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Rose, Betty White’s character on The Golden Girls, was constantly teased by Dorothy, Blanche and Sophia about being a bottle blonde, but this is just taking it to a whole new level.

Empire News featured an article with the headline, “Actress Betty White, 92, Dyes Peacefully In Her Los Angeles Home,” causing rumors of the funny lady’s death to spread like wildfire throughout the internet. The article, however, is a piece about White dying her signature short hair, not about her passing away.

According to White’s agent, Jeff Witjas, she is very much alive and still on her daily grind. “She’s on the set shooting Hot in Cleveland right now,” Witjas told the Los Angeles Times.

Photo credit: Fayes/Vision/WENN.com

Ironically, Witjas, who is the one now having to set rumors straight about White’s death, is the one quoted in the Empire News article. “Betty is a solitary kind of person. She likes to relax in her home with her animals and she rarely likes to discuss the fact, at least in public, that she is actually a brunette,” Witjas allegedly said in a supposed press release obtained by Empire News. “She has been dying her own hair in her home for decades. Betty has often told me it is relaxing and soothing to dye her own hair, peacefully in her home, where she can laugh and enjoy time with her animals. She’s said on more than one occasion that as a blonde, she has had ‘more fun’ in her roles and in real life.”

Though White has yet to comment on the hoax herself, it’s likely that she will take the situation in stride. The actress proved last fall that she is able to laugh at herself when she shot a parody of Miley Cyrus’ seductive video for her song, “Wrecking Ball.” “I was asked to promote my show, Off Their Rockers, which is coming to Lifetime,” White explained at the time. “So, I got some ideas from recent pop culture events that really got the kids talking.”

We’re extremely relieved that the news about White turned out to be false. It’s already been a rough month for beloved comedians, with the recent passing of Robin Williams and the death of Joan Rivers on Thursday.