BETTY White's beloved pet bear, Bam Bam, has died just months after the actress passed away.
The animal lover is now reunited with her beloved bear friend after they met in 2018.
Betty is known for her roles in Golden Girls, Hot In Cleveland, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and many more, but one aspect of her life was far more important to her- animals.
Bam Bam was a bear that Betty met at the Los Angeles Zoo just a few years ago.
Her official Instagram page, which is now run by her personal assistant Kiersten Mikelas, shared the news of the bear's passing.
"Returning from hiatus with a bittersweet post. This boy has been reunited with this lady, who loved him so dearly," they wrote, adding rainbow emojis.
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Ending the post with three hearts emojis, she said, "Bam Bam was just a spectacular creature. He will be dearly missed by all those who loved him."
Kiersten shared the news in the early morning hours of June 14 and added four photos to the post.
The first three showed Betty cuddling the bear, talking to him, and rubbing up against him.
In the last one, she was sitting next to her friend, the late Georgia Engel, who died in April 2019.
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They both smiled and cuddled up to the bear as he sat on a wooden bench.
Fans and followers of Betty's page commented their condolences and said that he was in good hands with Betty now.
Rest in peace Bam Bam.
LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT
Betty might have been a legendary actress, but she was an animal lover first.
She first met Bam Bam in 2018 when she filmed a documentary called The First Lady of Television.
In the clip, Betty casually sat next to the big brown bear before giving him a kiss.
The Proposal actress fed Bam Bam marshmallows and talked lovingly to him.
He made such an impact on her that she had a cardboard cutout made and put into her office, alongside one of her crush, Robert Redford, so she could see them every day.
Just days after what would have been her 100th birthday, her assistant shared a photo of the two cutouts with party hats on.
"Two of Betty's absolute favorites – Bam Bam and Bob," the caption read.
"They were in our office and she greeted each upon arrival – 'hi fellas,' and blew them kisses when she'd leave – 'she ya next time.' "
She added that they got dressed up for Betty's birthday.
ANIMAL ADVOCACY
In her documentary, Betty talked about her love for animals and that she would rather be remembered for that than for acting.
“That’s my life. The reason I work, the reason I do anything is for my love for animals," she said in the film.
Georgia even stated in the documentary, "She says that all the time, ‘I have to keep doing my acting jobs so I can support my animal causes.’”
Throughout her life, the actress worked with numerous animal charities including, but not limited to, the Los Angeles Zoo Commission, African Wildlife Foundation, and the Morris Animal Foundation.
She was also the president emerita of the Morris Animal Foundation and a member of the board of directors of the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association.
Betty would volunteer and advocate for animals, but also donated a lot of money to help and protect her beloved creatures.
LEAVING BEHIND A LEGACY
Betty sadly passed away on December 31, 2021, from a stroke.
While the world mourned her death, they also wanted to remember her in special ways.
So, for what would have been her 100th birthday, fans created the Betty White Challenge and donated to animal shelters, zoos, rescues, and organizations on January 17.
The Los Angeles Zoo said it was "blown away" after receiving more than $70,000 in donations from the challenge.
The Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando received more than $50,500 in donations while several animal charities raised over $30,000 each.
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At the time of her death, Betty left behind her golden retriever, Pontiac, whom she had since he was a puppy.
She was a huge fan of dogs and was an owner of many throughout her life.
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